NBA: Wild win carries 76ers to 3-0 lead over Nets

The Philadelphia 76ers pushed the Brooklyn Nets to the brink of elimination on Thursday as the Golden State Warriors clawed back in their NBA playoff series against Sacramento with a 114-97 rout of the Kings.

A rugged clash in Brooklyn featured two ejections and a controversial kick from Joel Embiid, who nevertheless remained in the game.

Philadelphia's MVP candidate scored just 14 points but pulled down 10 rebounds and produced a crucial block with eight seconds remaining that helped the Sixers hang on for a 102-97 victory.

When the dust settled the Sixers had a 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference first-round series -- the Nets well aware that no NBA team has come back from 3-0 down to win a best-of-seven set.

Across the country in San Francisco, the reigning champion Warriors avoided a 3-0 hole despite the absence of star Draymond Green, who was suspended one game for stamping on Sacramento's Domantas Sabonis in Game 2.

The Warriors, who were 33-8 at home in the regular season, led wire-to-wire, pushing the advantage to as many as 23 points to cut the series deficit to 2-1.

The Phoenix Suns, fueled by Devin Booker's 45 points, were also up 2-1 after a 129-124 victory over the Clippers in Los Angeles.

Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 36 points. Center Kevon Looney pulled down 20 rebounds -- including nine offensive boards -- winning the battle with Sabonis.

Sabonis scored 15 points and grabbed 16 rebounds for the Kings, who were led by De'Aaron Fox's 26 points.

"Losing both games (in Sacramento) was a tough way to start," said Curry, leader of the Warriors' four-title dynasty but who had never before been down 2-0 in a series.

Curry said the Warriors were stung by Green's suspension but knew "we couldn't change the decision that we knew was wrong.

"But," he added, "if we could come out and win tonight and change the momentum of the series, that gives us an opportunity to make it about basketball."

Embiid controversy 

While Curry believes the Warriors have put the Green stamping debate behind them, there will be plenty of discussion around Game 3 of the Sixers-Nets series.

Down by five with 2:15 to play, the Sixers surged home. Tyrese Maxey scored 10 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, his step-back three-pointer with 44.7 seconds left giving the Sixers a 99-96 lead.

Spencer Dinwiddie cut the deficit by one with a free throw and looked headed for a game-tying layup when Embiid soared up to reject the shot and the Sixers held on.

Nets coach Jacque Vaughn expressed frustration that Embiid was even in the game at that point, marvelling that he wasn't ejected when he aimed a kick from the floor at Nic Claxton's groin as the Nets player stepped over him in the first quarter.

Embiid had hit the deck when he tangled with Claxton as the Nets player threw down an alley-oop dunk.

"For a guy to intentionally kick someone in an area that none of us want to be kicked at or toward, and for him to continue to play -- I've never seen that before," Vaughn said.

Sixers star James Harden was tossed late in the third quarter after piling his shoulder and arm into Royce O'Neale's body on a drive to the basket.

And Brooklyn's Claxton was ejected early in the fourth when he picked up a second technical foul for a muscle-flexing taunt of Embiid.

"We stayed together," Embiid said of the key to the hard-fought victory. "We kept playing through everything that was going on."

'Natural reaction' 

Harden was steaming at his ejection -- for a flagrant 2 foul -- over what he insisted was a normal basketball play.

"When somebody's draped over you like that defensively, it's just a natural basketball reaction," he said.

Mikal Bridges led the Nets with 26 points and Dinwiddie added 20, but Brooklyn are in danger of being swept for the second straight season.

Embiid, who went to the locker room briefly in the first quarter and could be seen limping later in the game, said the Sixers need to be better in Saturday's game four -- and that he'd be ready.

"I took a lot of shots today, but I'm fine," he said.

In Los Angeles, the Clippers had to make do without star Kawhi Leonard, who was ruled out with a knee sprain as they returned home after splitting the first two games with the Suns in Phoenix.

It was a heavy blow for a team already without injured star Paul George, and even 42 points from Norman Powell and 30 points from Russell Westbrook weren't enough against a Suns team that had 28 points from Kevin Durant.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Bucks beat Raptors on Giannis triple double as Nets' streak ends

Giannis Antetokounmpo's triple-double sparked the Milwaukee Bucks to a 104-101 overtime victory at Toronto on Wednesday while the Brooklyn Nets saw their 12-game NBA win streak snapped.

Greek superstar Antetokounmpo scored 30 points, pulled down 21 rebounds and passed off 10 assists, the last to set up Grayson Allen's decisive 3-pointer with 11 seconds to play that rescued a Milwaukee triumph.

"You can't do it by yourself. You've got to trust your teammates, make plays for them," Antetokounmpo said.

"I'm trying to be aggressive... but at the end of the day everybody is sucking me in and the guy is open. That last play Grayson was wide open and I was able to get him the ball."

It was the 31st career triple-double for Antetokounmpo and the sixth time he managed 30 points and 20 rebounds in the same game -- heroics coming a night after scoring a career-high 55 points in a victory.

Antetokounmpo, who made 7 of 18 shots from the floor and 15 of 21 from the free throw line, was unhappy with a 28-7 Raptors run to close regulation time, Toronto tying the game at 97-97 on Gary Trent Jr's last-second 3-pointer to force overtime.

"We can't put ourselves in that position," Antetokounmpo said. "We were up 15 with two minutes left.

"But I think we did a good job keeping our composure and executing in the overtime -- finding open spots and defending -- and we were able to get the win."

Fred VanVleet, who led Toronto with 28 points, missed a potential tying 3-pointer at the finish.

DeMar DeRozan and Patrick Williams each scored 22 points and Nikola Vucevic added 21 points and 13 rebounds to lead Chicago over Brooklyn, 121-112.

The Bulls (17-21) snapped Brooklyn's 12-game win streak when a victory would have pulled the visiting Nets (25-13) level for the Eastern Conference lead with Boston.

Instead, they share second with the Bucks, one game adrift.

Chicago's triumph spoiled a 44-point effort from Brooklyn's Kevin Durant while Kyrie Irving added 25 points.

Philadelphia's James Harden had 26 points and eight assists while Tobias Harris, De'Anthony Melton and Montrezl Harrell each added 19 points to power the host 76ers over Indiana, 129-126, in overtime.

The 76ers (23-14) were playing without star big man Joel Embiid due to a sore left foot but still snapped Indiana's four-game win streak.

A Harris tip-in with six seconds to play lifted the Sixers level at 120-120 to force overtime. Harris made two free throws with four seconds remaining in the extra session to create the final margin.

 Cavs beat Suns 

Evan Mobley's jumper with four seconds remaining gave Cleveland a 90-88 victory over Phoenix. Caris LeVert led the Cavaliers with 21 points while Donovan Mitchell had 20 and nine assists.

Ja Morant scored 23 points and dished out eight rebounds to spark Memphis in a 131-107 romp at Charlotte as the Grizzlies (24-13) matched Denver for the Western Conference lead.

Anthony Edwards netted 32 points to power the Minnesota Timberwolves over visiting Portland, 113-106.

C.J. McCollum scored 28 points and Jonas Valanciunas added 16 points and 17 rebounds to lead New Orleans over visiting Houston, 119-108.

Jalen Brunson scored 38 points and Julius Randle added 25 points and 13 rebounds to spark host New York over San Antonio, 117-114.

Paolo Banchero, last year's NBA Draft top pick, had 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists to lead host Orlando over Oklahoma City, 126-115.

Saddiq Bey's 3-pointer at the buzzer gave the Detroit Pistons a 122-119 victory at Golden State. Croatian forward Bojan Bogdanovic led Detroit with 29 points.

John Collins and De'Andre Hunter each scored 22 points to lead Atlanta in a 120-117 triumph at Sacramento.

German guard Denis Schroder shook off an ankle sprain to score a season-high 32 points and lead the Los Angeles Lakers over visiting Miami, 112-109.

Lakers star LeBron James sat out against his former club with a non-COVID illness, joining injured forward Anthony Davis on the sidelines.

Agence France-Presse

 

NBA: Doncic scores 51 as Dallas' win streak reaches six

WASHINGTON -- Luka Doncic scored 51 points to lead the Dallas Mavericks to their sixth victory in a row while the Brooklyn Nets stretched their win streak to 11 on Saturday.

Doncic added nine assists, six rebounds, four steals and a blocked shot in a maestro performance for the Mavericks in a 126-125 victory at San Antonio.

"I'm exhausted," Doncic said. "Our defense wasn't great. At the end we got a couple stops. Overall we win the game and that's it."

The 23-year-old Slovenian guard sank two free throws with 4.1 seconds remaining for the last Dallas points, then grabbed a rebound after the Spurs' Tre Jones missed a tying free throw attempt with 2.1 seconds remaining to seal the Mavs' triumph.

It was the third 50-point effort in five games for NBA scoring leader Doncic, who was at a loss to explain his high-point nights of the season.

"I don't know," Doncic said. "Some games they are going to double (cover) me, some games they are going to let me run the pick and roll. I just accept the coverage and go from there."

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich joked that San Antonio's goal had been to keep Doncic to 50 points after he had 60 in a triple double on Tuesday in a Dallas victory.

Christian Wood, who added 25 points and seven rebounds for Dallas, marveled at what he sees as a Most Valuable Player-style effort.

"It's incredible," Wood said. "In my seven years in the league, I've never seen anybody do what he's able to do.

"He's on an incredible run. He's playing like an MVP, clearly one of the best players in the league."

Brooklyn's Kyrie Irving scored 28 points and Kevin Durant added 23 to spark the Nets to a 123-106 victory at Charlotte, extending their win streak to 11.

The Nets improved to 24-12 and moved into second place in the Eastern Conference, becoming only the second club this season to reach 24 wins.

LaMelo Ball had 23 points and 11 assists while Mason Plumlee added 22 points and 10 rebounds for Charlotte, which fell to 10-27.

At the other end of the spectrum, the Minnesota Timberwolves suffered their sixth straight defeat, a humbling 116-104 home loss to league-worst Detroit (10-29).

Bojan Bogdanovic scored 28 points to lead the Pistons while Anthony Edwards netted 30 in a losing cause.

- Triple double by Embiid -

Philadelphia's Joel Embiid achieved his fifth career triple double with 16 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in the 76ers' 115-96 triumph at Oklahoma City.

Tobias Harris led the Sixers with 23 points while Shake Milton added 18 and De'Anthony Melton had 17 points for Philadelphia.

Ja Morant scored 32 points and the host Memphis Grizzlies beat New Orleans 116-101. New Zealander Steven Adams grabbed 21 points for Memphis (22-13), which pulled within a game of Western Conference leader Denver.

Zion Williamson scored 20 points to lead the Pelicans (23-13), who fell half a game behind Denver.

Tyler Herro sank a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give Miami a 126-123 victory at Utah. Bam Adebayo led the Heat with 32 points while Herro added 29 for Miami.

Julius Randle scored 35 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead New York's 108-88 romp at Houston, which snapped the Knicks' five-game losing streak.

Caris LeVert scored 23 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers snapped a three-game losing streak by edging Chicago 103-102 when DeMar DeRozan missed a winning jump shot for the Bulls at the buzzer.

Myles Turner scored 34 points and Tyrese Haliburton added 24 to lead the Indiana Pacers over the visiting Los Angeles Clippers 131-130. Chris Paul scored a game-high 45 points for the Clippers.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Nets roll past Wizards to fourth straight victory

LOS ANGELES -- The Brooklyn Nets cruised to their fourth straight NBA victory on Monday as Kevin Durant's 30 points fueled a 112-100 win over the Wizards in Washington.

The Nets, who battled through early season struggles that saw coach Steve Nash sacked then dealt with the suspension of Kyrie Irving in an anti-Semitism row, have now won eight of their last nine games.

"We're building something," Durant said. "We've got to keep fine-tuning."

Durant said the Nets' recent strong run owed something to seven straight games at home, and also to the fact that a few opponents were shorthanded.

But he added: "For the most part, I like the brand of basketball we played on both ends of the court."

"Regardless of who was on the floor, we still played our system."

On Monday, the Nets led by double digits for much of the second half, holding the Wizards to 45 points after the interval.

Durant added nine rebounds and six assists and Irving added 24 points as the Nets dealt the Wizards a seventh straight defeat.

Will Barton scored 22 points off the bench to lead the Wizards, who had 20 points apiece from Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle Kuzma.

The Nets trail Cleveland by just half a game for third place in the East after the Cavaliers were up-ended by Western Conference stragglers San Antonio 112-111.

Josh Richardson scored 24 points to lead the Spurs, who were up by 10 with 4:35 to play and held on despite a Cavs rally that cut the deficit to two on Donovan Mitchell's putback basket with 53 seconds remaining.

Evan Mobley added a free throw that pulled Cleveland within one with 37.9 seconds left.

But Keldon Johnson blocked a shot by Mitchell, Cleveland's Darius Garland missed a three-pointer and Spurs reserve Devin Vassell came up with a steal to seal the victory.

The injury absence of Ja Morant was no problem for the Memphis Grizzlies, who roared to a 128-103 home victory over the Atlanta Hawks.

Tyus Jones scored 22 points and Jaren Jackson delivered 15 points, seven rebounds and a career-high eight blocked shots -- which tied the Grizzlies' franchise single-game record shared by Marc Gasol, Pau Gasol and Stromile swift.

His defensive efforts were key to holding the Hawks, who connected on just 37 of the 104 shots they put up.

The Grizzlies won their sixth straight and moved within half a game of the New Orleans Pelicans atop the Western Conference.

Morant was sidelined with a sore right thigh while the Hawks were without their top scorer in Trae Young, who sat out with a tight low back a day after Atlanta's overtime victory over Chicago.

The Miami Heat clawed out a much-needed win in Indianapolis, where Bam Adebayo scored 22 points and grabbed 17 rebounds, Jimmy Butler added 20 points and the Heat clamped down defensively for an 87-82 victory over the Pacers.

The Heat led 74-73 with 4:59 remaining when Kyle Lowry's three-pointer launched a 10-2 Miami scoring run.

Butler scored seven straight points in the burst and Miami held on for the win.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Durant scoring streak rolls on as Nets sink Knicks

Kevin Durant extended his 25-point scoring streak with a triple double as the Brooklyn Nets launched Jacque Vaughn's reign as head coach with a 112-85 rout of the New York Knicks on Wednesday.

Durant gave Brooklyn's fans some respite from recent off-court drama with a superb performance, scoring 29 points with 12 rebounds and 12 assists in a wire-to-wire victory at the Barclays Center.

The 34-year-old has now scored at least 25 points in each of Brooklyn's 12 games since the start of the season -- the longest streak since Michael Jordan opened the 1988-1989 campaign with 16 games scoring 25 points or more per game.

More significantly, Durant's latest dominant performance ensured a smooth start to Vaughn's tenure as head coach.

Vaughn took over as interim coach last week after the sacking of Steve Nash, but was only confirmed as the permanent replacement earlier on Wednesday.

"I just liked how we were all on the same page," Durant told ESPN after the win. 

"I'm only as good as my team-mates so them setting me up, helping me out on defense, helping me rebound -– it's a team effort helping to get me going."

Durant was also happy to have helped deliver a win for Vaughn that saw the Nets improve to 5-7.

"He's been around this group for a while, been around this organization for a while, so he understands us," Durant said.

As well as the dismissal of Nash last week, the Nets have also been buffeted by controversy surrounding Kyrie Irving, who was suspended by the club last week after posting a link to an anti-Semitic film on his social media.

- LeBron hurt in Lakers loss -

In other games Wednesday, the Los Angeles Lakers' miserable season continued with a 114-101 defeat to city rivals the Clippers that saw LeBron James hobble off with an apparent injury.

James, who finished with 30 points, eight rebounds and five assists, left the court with just over five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.

The defeat leaves the Lakers just one place off the bottom of the Western Conference with a dismal 2-9 record. Only the Houston Rockets (2-10) have a worse record.

Utah's blistering start to the season continued with a 125-119 win over the Atlanta Hawks in Georgia. 

The Hawks had gone into the game on a high after ending Milwaukee's unbeaten start to the season in their previous game.

But Jazz star Lauri Markkanen put on a shooting clinic with 32 points while Jordan Clarkson added 23 as Utah improved to 10-3 to maintain their lead at the top of the Western Conference standings.

Markkanen's exhibition of shooting included six buckets from three-point range and a perfect eight-from-eight from the free-throw line.

Dejounte Murray led the Atlanta scorers with 26 points while the returning Trae Young had 22 points.

The Phoenix Suns remain in hot pursuit of Utah at the top of the Western Conference after romping to a 129-117 road win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. 

Devin Booker's 32-point haul and 31 from Mikal Bridges set up victory for Phoenix, who improved to 8-3 to remain second in the standings.

The Portland Trail Blazers are also on 8-3 in the West after sending the Charlotte Hornets to a sixth straight loss with a 105-95 win on the road on Wednesday.

Damian Lillard led the Blazers scoring with 26 points, six assists with seven rebounds.

The Denver Nuggets are level with Phoenix and Portland on 8-3 after their 122-119 win over the Indiana Pacers. 

Reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic led the Denver scoring with 24 points while Bennedict Mathurin topped the Pacers scorers with 30 points.

There was an upset in Sacramento where the high-flying Cleveland Cavaliers were taken down by the Kings 127-120.

Donovan Mitchell put on a 38-point scoring show for Cleveland but the Kings claimed the victory after a balanced offensive performance that saw seven players in double figures.

The Boston Celtics (8-3) were too strong for the 3-9 Detroit Pistons, cruising to a 128-112 win after 31 points from Jayson Tatum.

Milwaukee bounced back from their defeat to Atlanta to score a 136-132 overtime win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Jevon Carter scored 36 points including five-of-10 from beyond the arc, on a night when all of the Bucks starters finished in double figures.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Doncic tallies triple-double as Mavs edge Nets in overtime

Luka Doncic's 41-point triple-double propelled the Dallas Mavericks to a 129-125 NBA overtime triumph over the Nets in Brooklyn on Thursday.

Slovenian star Doncic's big night, which also included 11 rebounds and 14 assists, saw the Mavs come out on top in a furious back-and-forth battle.

Kyrie Irving, who led the Nets with 39 points, capped a 7-0 Brooklyn scoring run with a three-pointer over Doncic to put the hosts up 110-106 with less than four minutes left in regulation.

A Doncic basket and two free throws by the Mavs star saw Dallas pull level again and Tim Hardaway gave them a 112-110 lead with another pair of free throws.

But the Nets then harried Doncic into a turnover, Ben Simmons coming up with the steal and getting the ball to Kevin Durant who raced down the court for a thunderous dunk that tied it up with 8.8 seconds remaining.

Dallas took control quickly in the extra session with a basket from Doncic and a pair of three-pointers from Hardaway and Maxi Kleber -- Doncic assisting on both.

Doncic set up Reggie Bullock for another three-pointer, scoring or assisting on Dallas' first 15 points of overtime as the Mavs pushed their lead to as many as nine points and handed the Nets their second defeat in as many nights.

They fell to Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks on Wednesday, two days after falling prey to Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies. 

Doncic notched the 47th regular-season triple-double of his career and became the 10th player in NBA history with three or more 40-point triple-doubles.

He connected on 14 of 28 shots from the floor, made 11 of 13 free-throw attempts and came up with three steals.

Durant added 37 points for the Nets, who fell to 1-4.

In other early action, the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the short-handed Los Angeles Clippers, 118-110, their second victory over the Clippers in less than a week.

With Clippers star Kawhi Leonard sitting out to manage his return after he missed all of last season with a torn knee ligament, Los Angeles star Paul George was held to just 10 points by his former team.

Former Clipper Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 24 points and Lu Dort added 21 for OKC, who had beaten the Clippers on Tuesday.

Norman Powell paced the Clippers with 21 points and Reggie Jackson added 18, but Los Angeles dropped their third straight.

Agence France-Presse

Irving will opt into NBA deal and stay with Nets, report says

Brooklyn star guard Kyrie Irving says he will opt into a $37 million player contract option for next season to remain with the NBA Nets, The Athletic reported Monday.

The report came two days before a deadline for Irving, 30, to decide about fulfilling his four-year commitment to the Nets and star big man Kevin Durant.

"Normal people keep the world going, but those who dare to be different lead us into tomorrow. I've made my decision to opt in. See you in the fall," Irving told The Athletic.

The report said Irving is skipping possible opt-in and trade moves to remain with Brooklyn and Durant, with hopes of finally producing an NBA title contender.

Irving has played only 103 games for the Nets over the past three seasons due to a variety of injuries and issues, including not being vaccinated for COVID-19 and prevented from playing in home games by New York safety regulations.

Even with two superstars, the Nets have been a disappointment, going 44-38 last season and being swept by Boston in the first round of the playoffs. Brooklyn lost to eventual champion Milwaukee in the second round last year.

Irving averaged 27.4 points, 5.8 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals a game over 29 contests for the Nets last season.

Over three seasons with Brooklyn, Irving has averaged 27.1 points and 6.0 assists.

The Nets traded star guard James Harden to Philadelphia late last season for Australian star Ben Simmons and if he returns at top form after back surgery it could help boost Brooklyn next season.

Durant was waiting to see about Irving's future plans before firming up his own long-term intentions.

The Nets have not gone past the second round of the NBA playoffs since losing the 2003 NBA Finals to San Antonio, when the Nets were based in New Jersey.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Irving shines as Nets advance, Wolves down Clippers

NEW YORK -- Kyrie Irving produced a near-flawless display of shooting to fire the Brooklyn Nets into the NBA playoffs on Tuesday with a 115-108 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Irving drained 12 of 15 from the field to finish with 34 points and 12 assists for a victory that sees Brooklyn into a best-of-seven series against the second-seeded Boston Celtics, starting Sunday.

On the evidence of Tuesday's performance, Irving will be brimming with confidence as he prepares to face his former club in Boston this weekend.

The 30-year-old seven-time All-Star was perfect from the field through the first three quarters, only missing his first shot early in the fourth quarter.

It was the latest in a series of impressive displays from the unvaccinated Irving, who was ruled out of the vast majority of Brooklyn's home games this season due to Covid-19 regulations in New York.

"We only speak positivity on this entire journey thus far," Irving said after Tuesday's win. "It's been ups and it's been downs, but we've stayed together, remained resilient. 

"We've been through a lot of changes and we've evolved since we came out of the All-Star break. It feels good but we know that the job isn't finished."

Irving was backed by another commanding display from Kevin Durant, who finished with 25 points, 11 assists and five rebounds.

Durant was a composed presence throughout, notably helping Brooklyn re-establish a 10-point cushion with back-to-back buckets after Cleveland –- who at one stage had trailed by 22 points –- cut the Nets' lead to just six points late in the fourth quarter.

"That's as advertised," Brooklyn coach Steve Nash said of Durant and Irving's performances. "They're superstars. That's what top, top players do."

Brooklyn led from start to finish, exploding out of the blocks to score 40 points in the first quarter to open up a 20-point lead that Cleveland never managed to recover from.

Nash however was satisfied that Brooklyn had been able to close out the win as Cleveland chipped away at the lead.

"You have to be prepared for that in basketball," said Nash.

- Embracing anxiety -

"Anxiety is part of the game, stress is part of the game. You have to embrace that and continue to compete and continue to find clarity and conviction.

"We'll find lots of positives and also lots of room for improvement... Every day is a day for us to learn about ourselves and how we can improve on both ends of the floor."

While the Nets look forward to the playoffs, the Cavaliers will face the winner of the other Eastern Conference play-in game between the Charlotte Hornets and Atlanta Hawks for a place in the first round of the postseason.

In Tuesday's other play-in game, Anthony Edwards and D'Angelo Russell led the Minnesota Timberwolves to a hard-fought victory over the Los Angeles Clippers to clinch the seventh seed in the Western Conference.

Edwards scored 30 points and Russell added 29 as the Wolves won 109-104 to set up a first round playoff series against the second-seeded Memphis Grizzlies.

A pulsating clash at Minneapolis's Target Center was briefly interrupted in the second quarter after a woman reported to be an animal rights activist attempted to glue herself to the court in protest. Security staff removed the woman after a few minutes.

Minnesota's victory came despite a poor performance from star center Karl-Anthony Towns, who fouled out early in the fourth quarter after scoring just 11 points with three assists and five rebounds.

Towns' departure was the cue for a dramatic late rally from Minnesota, however, with the Timberwolves going on a 13-2 run to take the lead that ultimately proved the difference.

"We've got a special group, it can be anybody's night out there like I've been saying all season," Russell said. 

"Tonight we locked in to the details and what it was going to take to beat that team. Our group is resilient."

Russell, meanwhile, had words of support for Towns, who struggled to impose himself against a hard-nosed Clippers defense.

"That's our guy, he's our All-Star, he's been holding it down for us all season," Russell said. "Tonight their game plan was to take him out of the game and we had to respond as a group."

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Kevin Durant scores 41 as Nets rally past Pistons

Kevin Durant collected 41 points and 11 rebounds as the Brooklyn Nets rallied in the second half and recorded a 130-123 victory over the Detroit Pistons Tuesday night in New York.

The Nets (40-36) won for the eighth time in 11 games after trailing by 12 in the first half. Brooklyn moved one game ahead of the ninth-place Charlotte Hornets in the race for a play-in berth in the Eastern Conference.

Durant scored 16 points in the third quarter and hit the tiebreaking 11-footer that gave the Nets a 110-108 lead with 4:54 remaining and helped Brooklyn outscore Detroit 22-15 to finish the game.

Durant made 14 of 23 shots as the Nets shot 55.3 percent and hit 15 3-pointers in 28 attempts.

Kyrie Irving added 24 in his second home game of the season after the unvaccinated guard was granted an exemption from New York City's private employer mandate last week. He made 7 of 18 shots, including a 19-footer that put Brooklyn up 126-118 with 90 seconds left.

Bruce Brown contributed 15 points and Andre Drummond totaled 14 points and 13 boards for the Nets. Seth Curry and Nic Claxton added 11 apiece for the Nets.

Rookie Cade Cunningham matched his career high with 34 points as the Pistons (20-56) lost for the ninth time in 11 games. Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart added 15 apiece as Detroit shot 48 percent and hit 16 3-pointers while taking its eighth loss by single digits in its skid.

Despite allowing the Nets to shoot 59.1 percent, the Pistons held a 35-33 lead through the opening quarter. The Pistons ripped off a 14-4 run to open a 53-41 lead when Killian Hayes hit a 3-pointer with 7:58 left and held a 64-58 lead at halftime.

The Nets regained the lead when Brown's 3-pointer made it 69-67 with 9:56 left in the third, held an eight-point lead midway through the quarter and took a 96-94 lead into the fourth.

The Pistons took a 101-99 lead on Frank Jackson's layup with 10:01 remaining, Irving hit a tough 3 from the left side for a 104-101 lead with 9:08 left but Cunningham's reverse layup forged a 108-all tie with 5:09 left before the Nets closed it out.

-reuters-

NBA: Short-handed Grizzlies down Nets despite Kyrie Irving's 43

Desmond Bane and De'Anthony Melton scored 23 points apiece for the host Memphis Grizzlies, who blew an 18-point lead before executing down the stretch in a 132-120 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday.

The Nets fell despite getting 43 points from Kyrie Irving and 35 from Kevin Durant, and despite Memphis playing without Ja Morant, who sat out a second straight game due to a sore right knee.

The Grizzlies (50-23) reached 50 wins for the fifth time in franchise history and improved to 15-2 in games Morant has missed this season.

Bane and Melton each hit six 3-pointers as the Grizzlies went 19 of 38 from long distance. Bane made three of his treys during the decisive 18-2 run that turned a 107-105 deficit into a 123-109 lead with 5:20 left.

Dillon Brooks added 21 and Tyus Jones, filling in for Morant, contributed 16 points and 10 assists as the Grizzlies beat the Nets (38-35) for the sixth straight time.

Memphis' Brandon Clarke added 10 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter. Jaren Jackson Jr. chipped in 13 and Kyle Anderson finished with 10.

The Nets were held to 16 points in the fourth quarter, when Durant scored just two points. Brooklyn missed 10 of 17 shots and committed six turnovers in the final period.

Andre Drummond added 15 and Bruce Brown chipped in 13 for the Nets, who shot 49.4 percent but also allowed 27 points off 14 turnovers.

Melton, Brooks and Bane combined for 32 points as the Grizzlies built a 40-32 lead through the opening quarter. Brooks made it 63-45 with 5:57 left in the half, and the Grizzlies held a 76-62 lead at halftime after Anderson stole the ball from Durant and dunked with 4.6 seconds left.

Irving's four-point play brought Brooklyn within 90-87 at the 5:57 mark of the third quarter. The Nets took their first lead since the first quarter when Durant hit a pair at the line with 2:34 left in the third to make it 98-97.

Brooklyn took a 104-103 lead into the fourth after Durant connected with Brown for a layup with 2.4 seconds left.

Durant wound up contributing 11 rebounds and eight assists, and Irving also finished with eight assists.

-reuters-

NBA: Kevin Durant does it again as Nets surge past Hawks

Kevin Durant scored 31 points and James Harden collected 20 points and 11 assists to lift the visiting Brooklyn Nets to a 113-105 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday.

Durant made 12 of 22 shots from the floor to torment the Hawks for the second time this season. He scored 32 points in Brooklyn's 117-108 home win over Atlanta on Nov. 3.

LaMarcus Aldridge and Bruce Brown each had 15 points for the Nets, who exploited the interior by scoring 66 points in the paint. Brooklyn also stepped it up in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Hawks by a 24-14 margin.

Trae Young recorded 31 points and 10 assists, marking the fifth straight game he has reached at least 25 and 10, respectively.

Atlanta's John Collins had 20 points and Kevin Huerter sank five 3-pointers to highlight his 19-point performance. Clint Capela collected 14 points and 16 rebounds and Danilo Gallinari added 13 points for the Hawks, who have lost three of their last four games.

Durant made a mid-range jumper to give Brooklyn a 97-95 lead with 7:02 remaining in the fourth quarter. James Johnson followed with a layup and Harden added four quick points to cap an 8-0 run for the Nets.

Capela's basket and Young's 3-pointer and driving layup pulled the Hawks within one with 3:35 to play. However, Harden answered with a layup at the other end.

Durant forced a turnover at one end and sank a 19-foot jumper at the other to give Brooklyn a 107-102 lead with 2:14 remaining. He essentially sealed the win by making four straight foul shots down the stretch.

Atlanta scored 18 of the first 28 points of the third quarter to secure a 73-62 lead, capped by Huerter's fourth 3-pointer of the night. Undaunted, Brooklyn slowly chipped away before Cam Thomas calmly sank a pair of 3-pointers to give the Nets an 89-88 lead.

Durant made 6 of 8 shots from the floor to finish with 12 points in the first quarter. He drained a mid-range jumper and a driving layup to pull the Nets into a tie at 26 to the end the period.

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NBA: Stephen Curry pours in 37 as Warriors blow out Nets

Stephen Curry scored 37 points and tied a season best by hitting nine 3-pointers as the Golden State Warriors took command in the third quarter and rolled to a 117-99 victory over the Brooklyn Nets in New York.

Curry joined Ray Allen as the second player to reach 2,900 career 3-pointers when he hit his first trey early in the first quarter. Allen tops the list at 2,973. 

Curry shot 12 of 19 from the floor as the Warriors rebounded from seeing their seven-game winning streak stopped Sunday with a four-point loss against the Charlotte Hornets.

Andrew Wiggins added 19 points for the Warriors, who shot 51.9 percent. Jordan Poole contributed 17 while Draymond Green collected 11 points, eight rebounds and six assists as Golden State scored 25 fastbreak points and 52 points in the paint.

James Harden scored 24 points for Brooklyn, which missed 17 of 22 shots in the third period and shot 38.6 percent overall. Kevin Durant added 19 against his former team, shooting 6 of 19 while being held under 20 points for the first time this season.

Bruce Brown chipped in 14 for the Nets, who made just 10 of 36 3-point tries as Joe Harris sat out with a sprained left ankle.

The Warriors continued their hot start by winning for the 12th time in 14 games thanks to an impressive surge after halftime. Golden State made 13 of 18 shots in the third quarter and outscored the Nets by a commanding 35-18 margin to take a 98-76 lead into the final period.

The Warriors never trailed after Wiggins hit a 3-pointer with 26.6 seconds left in the second quarter, and he hit another trey at the buzzer to give Golden State a 63-58 lead by halftime.

Curry's layup gave Golden State its first double-digit lead at 69-58 less than two minutes into the third, and the lead grew to 91-70 on a transition dunk by Poole with 2:49 remaining. Andre Iguodala capped the dominant quarter with a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Curry hit two more 3-pointers in the opening minutes of the fourth before Golden State took a 106-80 lead on Damion Lee's basket. Curry hit his final 3-pointer for a 111-85 lead with 7:06 before being lifted about two minutes later.

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NBA: Kevin Durant, Nets stave off Pistons' late charge

Kevin Durant had 29 points, 10 rebounds and five assists as the visiting Brooklyn Nets held off a late Detroit rally to down the Pistons 96-90 on Friday.

LaMarcus Aldridge had 16 points and five rebounds and James Harden compiled 13 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists but also committed nine turnovers. Blake Griffin added 13 points and Bruce Brown chipped in 10 for the Nets, who have won four straight.

Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 17 points. Kelly Olynyk contributed 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Cory Joseph and Saddiq Bey added 12 points each.

Defenses ruled the opening half as it ended tied at 39 apiece.

Durant led the Nets with nine points but shot 3-for-11 from the field. Harden made just one of six shots while scoring seven. Cunningham paced the Pistons with nine points. Brooklyn shot 32.5 percent from the field, while Detroit made 33.3 percent of its attempts.

Brooklyn scored the first eight points of the second half, including five by Brown. After the Pistons closed to within three points, the Nets went on a 13-3 run to stretch their lead to 62-49. Durant and Harden began that spurt with 3-pointers. Harden had another 3 during that span and Griffin finished it off with a dunk.

Griffin's 3-pointer with 2:29 remaining in the quarter gave Brooklyn a 72-57 lead. Durant had 12 points in the quarter as the Nets carried a 78-62 lead into the fourth.

Detroit started the quarter with a 9-2 run, which included two Frank Jackson 3-pointers.

With Brooklyn up 86-75, the Pistons made another run. Cunningham and Joseph made 3-pointers to pull Detroit within two at 88-86 with four minutes remaining.

A Durant floater doubled the Nets' lead but Cunningham answered with a 3-pointer. Durant hit a mid-range jumper to make it 92-89.

Griffin then drew a charge against Bey and made an offensive rebound to set up Durant's clinching layup with 12.9 seconds remaining.

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NBA: Bam Adebayo scores 24 to help Heat dominate Nets

Bam Adebayo totaled 24 points and nine rebounds as the visiting Miami Heat dominated inside and recorded a 106-93 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night in New York.

Adebayo highlighted an 8-for-17 showing by converting four dunks. He hit consecutive dunks to put Miami up 98-89 with about 3 1/2 minutes left.

Jimmy Butler supported Adebayo's big night with a stellar all-around showing. He added 17 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists and four steals.

The big nights by Butler and Adebayo helped Miami to a commanding 62-42 rebounding margin.

P.J. Tucker added 15 points and seven boards as the Heat survived shooting 39.6 percent. Dewayne Dedmon and Tyler Herro added 14 points apiece as Miami scored 48 in the paint.

Kevin Durant led all scorers with 25 points, but the Nets shot just 38.8 percent and scored two baskets in the final 4:33. The Nets lost for the third time in five games this season, and each loss has been by double digits.

Joe Harris contributed 15 points and James Harden chipped in 14 for Brooklyn, which shot 32.6 percent from behind the arc.

Miami held a 29-22 lead after the first quarter by ending the period with a 14-4 run over the last 4:59. A basket by Butler put Miami up 41-29 with 7:07 left in the second, but the Nets ended the first half with a 22-8 run and held a 51-49 lead by halftime after Blake Griffin converted a 3-point play with 34.4 seconds remaining.

Miami ripped off 14 straight points for a 63-57 lead on a 3-pointer by Duncan Robinson with 7:38 left. The Heat held an 81-74 lead into the fourth after Harris missed a 3-pointer right before the buzzer.

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NBA: Kevin Durant's 49-point explosion leads Nets to 3-2 series edge

Kevin Durant totaled 49 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists as the Brooklyn Nets stormed back and beat the Milwaukee Bucks, 114-108, Tuesday night in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals in New York.

The Nets, who overcame a 17-point, third-quarter deficit, lead the best-of-seven series, 3-2, thanks to one of Durant's most impressive postseason performances. They would advance to their first Eastern Conference finals since 2003 if they can win Thursday night in Milwaukee. Game 7, if necessary, would be played in Brooklyn on Saturday.

Durant set a franchise record for points in a playoff game, breaking the mark of 43 set by Vince Carter in 2006. He also posted his second career postseason triple-double and joined Hall of Famers Oscar Robertson, Charles Barkley and Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic as the fourth player with at least 40 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists in a postseason game.

Durant shot 16 of 23 from the field, made four of nine 3-point attempts and hit 13 of 16 free throws. He finished one point shy of postseason career high set with the Golden State Warriors in Game 1 of the 2019 Western Conference finals against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Durant scored 31 of his points in the final 18:38 when the Nets outscored Milwaukee, 54-32. He scored 11 in the third to get Brooklyn within 87-81 entering the fourth and then gave the Nets a 97-96 lead on a 3-pointer with 7:54 remaining.

The Bucks tied the game at 104 apiece on a short jumper by Jrue Holiday with 2:24 remaining, but the Nets took the lead for good on two free throws by James Harden with 87 seconds to go. Durant finished off his big game with a 3-pointer and three free throws in the final 50.5 seconds.

Brooklyn's Jeff Green added a playoff-career-high 27 points by shooting 8 of 11 and hitting 7 of 8 3-point tries. Blake Griffin chipped in 17 points for the Nets, who shot 49.4 percent from the floor.

Harden went from doubtful to active but wound up with just five points on 1-of-10 shooting. He missed the previous three games due to right hamstring tightness.

Giannis Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee with 34 points and 12 rebounds. Khris Middleton added 25 and Holiday chipped in 19 for the Bucks, who also shot 49.4 percent on field-goal attempts.

Antetokounmpo, Holiday and Middleton combined for 22 points as the Bucks smothered the Nets into missing 16 of 20 shots, guiding Milwaukee to a 29-15 lead after the opening quarter. The visitors held a 59-43 edge at halftime.

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NBA: Bucks hold off Nets to claw back in playoff series

The Milwaukee Bucks started strong and clung on late to beat the Brooklyn Nets, 86-83, on Thursday and claw their way back into their NBA Eastern Conference second-round playoff series.

Khris Middleton scored 35 points and two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 33 as the Bucks -- routed in two games in Brooklyn -- trimmed the deficit in the best-of-seven series to 2-1.

Kevin Durant led the Nets with 30 points and 11 rebounds, but his three-point attempt to force overtime bounced off the rim and the Bucks avoided falling into an 0-3 hole.

"It looked good, but thank god it didn't go in," Antetokounmpo said of Durant's final attempt.

The Bucks were coming off a humiliating 39-point loss to the Nets in Game 2 in Brooklyn, and in the first game of the series in Milwaukee they came out playing as if their lives depended on the outcome.

Antetokounmpo and Middleton scored 15 points apiece in the first quarter as the Bucks seized a 30-11 lead.

The Nets turned the tables in the second period, opening the quarter on a 15-2 scoring run.

They out-scored the Bucks, 31-15, in the second -- but they didn't get their first lead of the game until the third quarter, when Bruce Brown's jump shot put them up 65-64 with just over a minute remaining in the period.

It was nip and tuck the rest of the way, the Bucks taking a two-point lead into a fourth quarter that saw four lead changes, with neither team leading by more than four points.

It was tied at 80-80 with 1:30 remaining. Durant drained a three-pointer to put the Nets up with 1:23 left.

Middleton drove for a layup to cut the deficit and Jrue Holiday spun in for a layup to put Milwaukee up by one with 11.4 seconds to play.

Middleton pushed the Bucks' lead to three with two free throws that capped the scoring.

"At the end of the day we kept our composure," Antetokounmpo said. "We stayed together ... we kept trusting our habits and we were able to stay in the game and get the win."

The Bucks will try to level the series when they host Game 4 on Sunday.

Kyrie Irving added 22 points for the Nets, who were again without the third piece of their star trio, James Harden, who is nursing a hamstring injury.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Nets' stars shoot lights out in Game 4 win over Celtics

Kevin Durant scored 42 points and Kyrie Irving added 39 as the Brooklyn Nets took control in the second quarter and pulled away in the third for a 141-126 rout of the host Boston Celtics Sunday night in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference first-round series.

The Nets, the No. 2 seed in the East, lead the series three games to one and can secure their first trip to the conference semifinals since 2014 Tuesday night in Brooklyn. If they win, they will face the third-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in the second round.

Durant produced his 12th career 40-point postseason game by shooting 14 of 20 from the field and hitting all 11 of his free throws. 

Durant finished one point shy of the Nets' single-game postseason scoring record set by Vince Carter against the Miami Heat in 2006.

Irving bounced back from shooting 6 of 17 in Game 3 on Friday to shoot 11 of 24 overall and make 6 of 12 3-point tries. The former Celtics guard also made 11 of 11 free throws and grabbed 11 rebounds while hearing boos throughout the game from the sellout crowd of 17,226.

James Harden added 23 and a playoff career-high 18 assists to fall one shy of the franchise's postseason record for assists set by Jason Kidd against the Toronto Raptors in 2007.

Brooklyn's star trio combined to shoot 33-of-56 from the field while the Nets shot 57.8 percent and set a franchise record for points in a playoff game.

Jayson Tatum followed up his 50-point game from Friday by scoring 40 but Boston had little answers defensively for the Brooklyn's stars. 

Marcus Smart and Evan Fournier added 16 apiece for the Celtics, who shot 43.5 percent and were without Kemba Walker (left knee) and Robert Williams III (sprained left ankle).

Tatum scored 14 points as the Celtics held a 34-33 lead after the opening quarter.

Harden and Irving combined for 26 of Brooklyn's 40 points in the second when the Nets shot 70 percent and made their first 10 shots to grab a 73-60 lead.

Irving's tip-in dunk with 7:07 left in the third period gave the Nets their first 20-point lead at 88-68. Brooklyn then reached the century mark when Bruce Brown hit a layup for a 100-77 lead with 4:08 remaining and held a 112-91 lead into the fourth.

Two free throws by Smart cut Boston's deficit to within 121-103 with 8:07 remaining but Durant hit consecutive 3-pointers for a 127-103 lead less than a minute later to finish it off.

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NBA: Durant, Nets try to take 2-0 series lead vs Celtics

At one point in the Eastern Conference playoff opener between the Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics on Saturday, Brooklyn's Kevin Durant was 2-for-10 from the field, and his team had missed its first 10 3-point attempts.

It was part of a slow start by the Nets, but they ultimately got it done by improving defensively and getting a big second half from their star trio of Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden in a 104-93 victory.

On Tuesday night, the Nets hope to get off to a quicker start and take a 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven quarterfinal series when they host the Celtics in Game 2.

"We found a way to win," Brooklyn coach Steve Nash said after his team shot 41.7 percent from the field. 

"We didn't play well offensively. Some of it was shot-making. Some of it was cohesion. Some of it was the first time out in the playoffs with fans."

The Nets opened the series in front of their largest crowd of the season, with 14,391 fans, 93 percent of whom were vaccinated. Those fans watched the stars align and take over in the second half, and now they will see if the Nets can take a 2-0 lead in a postseason series for the first time since sweeping the New York Knicks in the 2004 first round.

Brooklyn achieved its win Saturday by getting a combined 82 points from Durant, Irving and Harden.

Durant finished with 32 points, 12 rebounds and shot 10-of-25 from the field. He was 2-of-10 in the first quarter when the Nets scored 16 points and was on the bench when the Nets faced a 12-point deficit nearly three minutes into the second quarter.

Irving added 29 points while Harden totaled 21, nine rebounds and eight assists. The trio was 11-for-32 from the floor when the Nets trailed by six at halftime and then scored 28 of Brooklyn's 31 points in the third when the Nets went ahead for good.

"We just missed shots. It's not like we don't know what we're doing out there. We just missed shots, that's it," Harden said of the early struggles by Brooklyn's offense on Saturday.

Besides stopping Brooklyn's trio from dominating, the Celtics are looking to even the series by getting better offensive showings from Jayson Tatum.

Tatum scored 50 points in last Tuesday's 118-100 win over the Washington Wizards in the play-in round but struggled to get into a flow, especially after halftime, on Saturday. He led the Celtics with 22 points but was 6-of-20 from the floor and was particularly quiet in the second half.

The Celtics were outscored 57-40 after halftime, and Tatum was 0-of-6 from the field on a night Durant frequently guarded him.

Boston is trying to avoid going down 2-0 in a first-round series for the first time since 2017, when it lost the first two games to the Chicago Bulls and won the series in six, but it knows its low point total from Game 1 is unlikely to be enough.

"We're going to have to go down the court and do better than scoring 93 or 94 points. It's not going to be enough," Boston coach Brad Stevens said Sunday. "We gotta move the ball and move bodies, and then we have to read the over-help at the end of the plays better. It's easier said than done."

Besides doing all the things Stevens mentioned at practice, the Celtics hope to provide better help for Tatum after shooting 36.9 percent in the series opener. Marcus Smart added 17 points on 6-of-13 from the field, but Kemba Walker was held to 15 points on 5-of-16 shooting after getting 29 points in the play-in game.

"We just gotta knock them down," Walker said. "We gotta be confident. Just knock (down) some shots. When we get those opportunities again, I think we'll be a lot better."

-reuters-

NBA: Nets overcome slow start, take series opener vs. Celtics

Kevin Durant recorded 32 points and 12 rebounds to help the Brooklyn Nets notch a 104-93 victory over the visiting Boston Celtics in the opening game of the Eastern Conference first-round playoff series on Saturday night.

Kyrie Irving scored 29 points and James Harden added 21 points, nine rebounds, eight assists and four steals for the second-seeded Nets. The contest was just the ninth in which Durant, Harden and Irving played together.

Jayson Tatum scored 22 points for seventh-seeded Boston but he was just 6 of 20 from the field.

Marcus Smart scored 17 points and Kemba Walker added 15 for the Celtics. Robert Williams III contributed 11 points, nine rebounds and nine blocked shots, with the rejections falling just one shy of the NBA postseason record.

Game 2 is Tuesday on the Nets' home floor.

Joe Harris added 10 points for Brooklyn, which shot 41.7 percent from the field, including 8 of 34 from 3-point range.

Evan Fournier had 10 points for the Celtics, who made 36.9 percent of their shots and hit 11 of 30 from behind the arc.

Boston was within 82-79 after two free throws by Jabari Parker with 7:27 left before the Nets responded with nine straight points.

Irving scored five in a row and Durant followed with a fast-break dunk to make it a 10-point margin with 5:48 left. Irving capped the burst with two free throws to make it 91-79 with 5:08 remaining.

A tip-in by Irving boosted the score to 94-81 with 3:37 left and the Nets led by as many as 17 en route to closing it out.

Brooklyn trailed 53-47 at halftime but came out storming in the third quarter with seven straight points and 18 of the first 22.

Harden's 3-pointer ended the 7-0 run with 10:13 left to give Brooklyn its first lead since 2-0.

Tristan Thompson and Walker scored back-to-back baskets as Boston went back ahead at 57-54 before the Nets ripped off 11 straight, capped by Harden's 3-pointer to give Brooklyn a 65-57 advantage with 7:16 remaining.

Durant's basket gave the Nets a 76-67 lead with 2:02 left before they settled for a 78-73 edge entering the final stanza.

-reuters-

NBA: Bam Adebayo wins it at the horn, as Heat top Nets

Bam Adebayo's step-back 14-foot jumper from the baseline at the buzzer lifted the Miami Heat to a 109-107 victory at home against the Brooklyn Nets in a matchup of shorthanded teams on Sunday afternoon.

Adebayo finished with 21 points, 15 rebounds and five assists to help the Heat snap a three-game losing streak despite playing without Jimmy Butler, who sat out with a sprained right ankle.

Landry Shamet scored a career-high 30 points and made 7-of-12 3-pointers to lead the Nets, who lost Kevin Durant early to injury.

Durant scored the Nets' first eight points before exiting the game with 7:57 left in the first quarter with what was diagnosed as a left thigh contusion. Durant banged his left knee against Heat forward Trevor Ariza's knee on a drive to the basket.

Shamet's output and Kyrie Irving's 20 points and nine assists was nearly enough for the Nets, who were already without James Harden (hamstring) for the sixth consecutive game. Joe Harris scored 12 points.

But after Goran Dragic's coast-to-coast layup tied the game at 107 with 43.6 seconds left, Irving missed a go-ahead 3-point attempt from the top of the key with 24.3 seconds remaining with Adebayo defending him.

Adebayo then held the ball at the other end and dribbled into the paint with two seconds left and fired up his winning shot.

Dragic finished with 18 points, eight rebounds and seven assists and Dewayne Dedmon totaled 10 points and 10 rebounds off Miami's bench. Kendrick Nunn made five of the Heat's 16 triples and finished with 17 points while Ariza had 15 points and nine rebounds. Duncan Robinson scored 11 points.

Durant, a 11-time All-Star, returned to the Nets' lineup April 7 after a 23-game absence due to a hamstring injury. He played in four of Brooklyn's previous five games and averaged 23.8 points, 6.3 assists and 5.3 rebounds during that span.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said pregame that Butler was day-to-day. It's unclear if he will be able to play Monday night when Miami hosts the Houston Rockets.

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