Short-handed Nets win
Durant scores 26 points as team trades for Harden
Kevin Durant scored 26 points as the solo superstar before soon centering a Big Three, leading the Brooklyn Nets, shorthanded after agreeing to a trade for James Harden, to a 116-109 victory over the New York Knicks on Wednesday night.
Durant was already scheduled to play on both nights of a back-to-back for the first time since surgery to repair his Achilles tendon. He maybe had to do a little more than planned after the Nets shook up their roster earlier in the day with a four-team blockbuster highlighted by the acquisition of Harden, the threetime NBA scoring champion.
With point guard Kyrie Irving missing a fifth straight game for personal reasons, the Nets had only nine players. The four who are to be included in the trade, confirmed by a person with knowledge of the situation, were not at Madison Square Garden.
The Nets lost some good ones — Caris Levert, Jarrett Allen and Taurean Prince have all been starters and played important roles — but still were plenty good enough and might be even better if the Durant-harden-irving tandem works out.
Joe Harris and Bruce Brown each added 15 points for the Nets, who broke open the game with a 15-2 burst to close the first half.
Julius Randle scored 30 points and RJ Barrett had 20 for the Knicks, who dropped their fourth straight but at least rediscovered some offense after being held below 90 points in the previous three.
Brooklyn’s lead was just 46-43 with about 4 1⁄2 minutes remaining in the half before Durant threw a lob that Deandre Jordan slammed down while getting fouled. Durant followed with a 3-pointer, and the two had consecutive dunks for the last two baskets of the half as the Nets opened a 61-45 lead.
The lead was still 16 after three before the Knicks made it appear close in the final minutes, mostly while Durant was on the bench.
Durant went over 20 points in his franchiserecord ninth straight game to begin a season, his first game at Madison Square Garden since he and Irving joined the Nets in July 2019 while a Knicks team that had enough money to afford two superstars couldn’t land any. Irving still hasn’t played across town as a Net, missing one game last season while injured and sitting out the second on the day Kobe Bryant died.
Mavericks 104, Hornets 93:
Luka Doncic had 34 points, 13 rebounds, nine assists and a career-high four blocks, Kristaps Porzingis scored 16 points in his return from a knee injury and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Charlotte Hornets 104-93 on Wednesday night. Tim Hardaway Jr. added 18 points to help Rick Carlisle become the 16th coach in NBA history to win 800 games. The Mavericks have won four straight after opening 2-4. Porzingis played for the first time since having knee surgery in October. The 7-foot-3 Latvian played 21 minutes, finishing 6-of-16 from the floor and 4-of-9 from beyond the 3-point arc. He had four rebounds. Terry Rozier had 18 points to lead the Hornets.
Bucks 110, Pistons 101:
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 22 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his 20th triple-double and Milwaukee beat Detroit for the third time this month. The Bucks built a big early lead with a flurry of 3-pointers. Jrue Holiday added 21 points for the Bucks. Jerami Grant had 22 for Detroit.