Dinwiddie, emotional Irving lead Nets past the Pistons
NEW YORK >> Spencer Dinwiddie scored 28 points in his first game with his new jersey number, Kyrie Irving returned to the lineup to score
20 and the Brooklyn Nets beat the Detroit Pistons 125115 on Wednesday night. Irving didn’t play Sunday at New York after learning of Kobe Bryant’s death, and Dinwiddie, a Los Angeles native, was in tears after the game talking about what the Lakers star meant to him.
Dinwiddie changed his number from No. 8, one of the numbers Bryant wore, to No. 26 on Tuesday.
Irving was friends with Bryant and appeared to be in tears during a pregame tribute to the superstar, when Bryant’s numbers 8 and 24 were lit up on the court and on the overhead video screen that showed the longtime Lakers star’s highlights.
The Nets left two seats open with flowers on them at Barclays Center in honor of Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, who were among the nine people killed in a helicopter crash Sunday.
The pair sat in those seats near Brooklyn’s bench for a Dec. 21 game against Atlanta. Gianna was a fan of the Hawks’ Trae Young.
Reggie Jackson scored 23 points during one the best games of his injury-plagued season and Derrick Rose had
22 for the Pistons, who have lost four straight.
PACERS 115, BULLS 106 >> Victor Oladipo’s only 3-pointer tied the score with 10 seconds left in regulation, and Malcolm Brogdon scored seven of his
15 points in overtime, helping Indiana rally for a victory over Chicago.
Oladipo had nine points in his first game back since suffering a season-ending knee injury last January. T.J. Warren had 25 points to lead the Pacers, who have won eight of their last 10. Brogdon also had eight rebounds and nine assists.
GRIZZLIES 127, KNICKS 106 >> Dillon Brooks scored 27 points, Ja Morant had 18 points and 10 assists, and Memphis cruised to its fourth straight victory.
Tempers flared with 48 seconds left in regulation when Knicks guard Elfrid Payton knocked Memphis’ Jae Crowder into the first row after Crowder attempted a 3-pointer following the steal of an errant inbound pass by Julius Randle.