‘Ridiculous’ KD erupts after brutal Ben blow; Wild finish in Aussies’ first duel – NBA Wrap

The Brooklyn Nets edged out an undermanned Orlando Magic outfit at residence 109-102 to get again to .500 at 11-11 behind a season-high 45-point masterclass from Kevin Durant on Tuesday (all instances AEDT).

Durant shot a hyper environment friendly 19-of-24 from the sphere (79 per cent) and added seven rebounds, 5 assists, two steals and two blocks in a dominant efficiency from the celebrity ahead.

Watch a mean of 9 LIVE NBA Regular Season video games per week on ESPN on Kayo Sports on ESPN on Kayo Sports. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >

The Nets had been up by one at halftime, and Durant erupted within the third quarter, scoring 19 factors, blocking two photographs and developing with a steal within the interval because the Nets seized management.

“Teammates set great screens for me, the paint was opened up because we were spaced off properly and I was able to knock some shots down,” Durant mentioned after the sport.

It’s been a rocky season for Brooklyn, who had simply sacked coach Steve Nash within the wake of a 1-5 begin when star guard Kyrie Irving was embroiled in controversy after posting a hyperlink to an anti-Semitic movie on social media.

“We’ve been through a lot so far,” he mentioned. “Getting to .500 is a definite goal of ours the last couple of weeks — we were right on the cusp.” Irving added 20 factors and Nic Claxton scored 16 factors with 13 rebounds for the Nets.

“We just want to keep progressing,” Durant mentioned.

It worryingly got here in a contest the place Ben Simmons was pressured out at half-time with left knee soreness – the identical knee that’s precipitated him to overlook video games this season and required surgical procedure two years in the past – and didn’t return.

The newest setback – trying out with 9 minutes left within the first half towards the Magic – comes simply as he was discovering his stride for the primary time as a Net.

The 26-year-old – who was traded to Brooklyn in February for former MVP James Harden – didn’t play final season resulting from each psychological well being points and a foul again. The latter required a microdiscectomy process in May to restore a herniated L-4 disc, however has had lasting results even this season, now on the opposite aspect of his physique.

Simmons missed 4 consecutive video games earlier this month with swelling in his knee. He additionally sat out the November 14 loss on the Lakers with the identical drawback. At that time Simmons was averaging simply 5.2 factors, 6.2 rebounds and 5.9 assists, all career-lows. He was a team-worst minus-43, and his minus-4.8 per sport was 410th out of 455 gamers per NBA.com.

But ever since coming back from that knee damage, Simmons has appeared like a brand new participant. Or maybe extra precisely, like a facsimile of his previous All-Star self.

In the prior seven video games coming into Tuesday – 5 of them begins – Simmons’ plus-29 was only a level behind Kevin Durant for the perfect on the group, trying spry and explosive. He averaged 13.6 factors, in addition to 7.6 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.6 steals. The latter three figures had been all team-highs.

Simmons completed Tuesday with 4 rebounds and three assists in 11 minutes.

Meanwhile, Kyrie Irving scored 20 factors for Brooklyn and Nic Claxton added 17 factors, 13 rebounds and three blocks.

The Magic, who had been with out Wendell Carter Jr, Jalen Suggs, Markelle Fultz, Cole Anthony, Terrence Ross, Mo Bamba, Chuma Okeke and Jonathan Isaac – having misplaced an NBA-high 113 video games to damage/sickness this season – fought admirably all sport as Paolo Banchero and Bol Bol (each 24 factors) starred.

Whenever it appeared just like the Nets had been going to run away with it within the fourth, Orlando got here proper again.

But it was in the end a powerful win from a Nets group which will have folded below such strain earlier this season to say their fifth win from their final seven video games.

“This was an impressive game for the Brooklyn Nets – one not those ugly games you’ve got to win off a back-to-back against a young team,” former NBA participant Richard Jefferson mentioned on the YES Network.

“This was a gutsy one and a win maybe earlier this season the Nets weren’t able to accomplish.

“Even have Ben Simmons going out at half-time, so a couple of things stacked against you.

“But ultimately this is the type of win the Brooklyn Nets can build on, especially 2-0 already on this seven-game home stand.”

-Originally revealed in The New York Post by Brian Lewis

PELICANS EDGE THUNDER IN AUSSIES’ FIRST SHOWDOWN

The New Orleans Pelicans outlasted the Oklahoma City Thunder at residence 105-101 in an epic duel that went all the way down to the wire.

Zion Williamson led the way in which for the Pelicans, who had been with out Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum, posting 23 factors, eight rebounds, eight assists and three blocks, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander amassed 31 factors, six rebounds, 4 assists and two steals for the Thunder.

It got here within the first showdown between Aussies Josh Giddey (seven factors, 5 rebounds, one steal) and Dyson Daniels (eight factors, two triples), 5 rebounds, two assists, two steals), who obtained an prolonged run with Ingram and McCollum out.

The Pelicans obtained out to an early 34-26 lead, however OKC stayed in placing distance all contest lengthy as each groups went blow for blow.

Zion Williamson’s basket with 3:54 left within the third prolonged New Orleans’ result in 75-62 and it appeared just like the hosts may run away with it, however responded down the stretch to maintain the Thunder alive.

OKC saved coming within the fourth, with Dort’s two-pointer chopping its deficit to simply 94-95.

Gilgeous-Alexander made four-straight free throws late to provide the Thunder a uncommon 98-97 lead, and after Trey Murphy responded with a triple, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl got here proper again on the different finish together with his personal three.

It led to a tense and wild ultimate minute, the place Williamson made and-one bucket and transformed the free throw to place the Pelicans again up 103-101.

Gilgeous-Alexander had an opportunity to even the scores or put the Thunder forward on the ultimate possession, however gave away an offensive cost, whereas Herb Jones made a pair of free throws to ice the win for New Orleans.

The outcome noticed the Pelicans enhance to 12-8 and climb into the West’s third seed, whereas OKC fell to 8-13.

ELSEWHERE …

While the league-leading Boston Celtics romped once more, main wire-to-wire in a 140-105 victory over the Charlotte Hornets, the Philadelphia 76ers erased a 16-point deficit to beat the Atlanta Hawks 104-101 in star centre Joel Embiid’s return from damage.

It was business as typical in Boston, the place Jayson Tatum returned from a one-game absence to attain 35 factors and sat out the fourth quarter with the sport nicely in hand.

Jaylen Brown, who had carried the load in Tatum’s absence in a blowout victory over Washington on Monday, had his flip to relaxation, sitting out with a sore neck.

It didn’t matter in any respect because the Celtics knocked down 24 three-pointers and saved their offence clicking with 40 assists.

The Hornets, lacking Terry Rozier, LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward, merely had no reply for a Celtics group that has gained 13 of their final 14 video games.

In Philadelphia, Embiid began sluggish in his return from a four-game absence with a sprained left foot.

He linked on simply one in all his first seven photographs, however completed nine-of-18 from the ground, grabbing eight rebounds and handing out seven assists, whereas chants of “MVP! MVP!” rang out as he made the ultimate free throw to seal the win.

Embiid’s fadeaway leap shot had given the 76ers a 101-100 lead with 18.6 seconds to play.

Seconds later he picked off a move from Atlanta’s Trae Young, then made two free throws to stretch Philadelphia’s lead.

Embiid, who was damage when teammate Georges Niang fell on him throughout a sport, mentioned he felt good after enjoying 35 minutes on Tuesday.

“I thought it (the injury) was going to be really bad,” he mentioned. “So I’m just excited to come back in such a short amount of time.”

Wizards centre Kristaps Porzingis had a giant night time in Washington, scoring a career-high 41 factors — 29 of them within the first half — in a 142-127 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Even worse for the T-Wolves, star Karl-Anthony Towns needed to be helped off the court docket within the third quarter with what the group mentioned was a proper calf pressure.

Towns was working up the court docket when he instantly grabbed his leg and fell. He was ultimately helped to the locker room by teammate Rudy Gobert and a group coach.

ALL RESULTS

HAWKS 101 SIXERS 104

TIMBERWOLVES 127 WIZARDS 142

HORNETS 105 CELTICS 140

MAGIC 102 NETS 109

CAVALIERS 88 RAPTORS 100

THUNDER 101 PELICANS 105

ROCKETS 113 NUGGETS 129

BULLS 114 JAZZ 107

SUNS – KINGS

PACERS – LAKERS