Durant, Harden carry Nets past Bucks as Irving sits again
Kevin Durant made the go-ahead 3-pointer with 36 seconds left, James Harden had 34 points and 12 assists, and the Brooklyn Nets edged the Milwaukee Bucks 125123 on Monday night.
Durant finished with 30 points, nine rebounds and six assists to give the Nets their fourth straight victory in a game in which two of the East’s best went toe-totoe right down to a tense finish that ended when Khris Middleton missed a potential winning 3-pointer from the corner.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 34 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists for Milwaukee, which had its four-game winning streak stopped. Middleton added 25 points and Jrue Holiday had 22.
Harden had 11 points at halftime following his 32-point Nets debut, when he added 14 assists and 12 rebounds. But he picked it up in the second half and contributed to the biggest play of the game even when he missed.
He swooped in to grab the rebound of his own 3-pointer that was off with the Nets trailing by two and fired it back out to Durant, who nailed the shot that made it 125-123.
SPURS 125, BUCKS 104 >> LaMarcus Aldridge scored 22 points and DeMar DeRozan had 20 points and 11 assists to lead San Antonio past Portland. Rudy Gay and Patty Mills came off the bench for 21 points apiece as the Spurs’ reserves outscored Portland’s backups 59-24. Damian Lillard led Portland with 35 points. HAWKS 108, TIMBERWOLVES 97>> Clint Capela had 23 points and 15 rebounds, De’Andre Hunter scored 25 and Atlanta beat Minnesota. The Hawks, wearing black, tan and white uniforms with “MLK” sewn across the chest to commemorate the national holiday honoring slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., snapped a two-game skid. They had dropped six of seven.
KNICKS 91, MAGIC 84 >> RJ Barrett had 22 points and 10 rebounds, and Julius Randle added 21 points and 17 rebounds to lead New York past Orlando. Elfrid Payton chipped in with 12 points and rookie guard Immanuel Quickley added 11 for the Knicks, who won their second straight.
GRIZZLIES 108, SUNS 104 >> Ja Morant had 17 points and 10 assists and took a key charge late as Memphis beat Phoenix for its fifth straight victory. Deandre Ayton led the Suns with 18 points and tied a season high with 16 rebounds. Mikal Bridges had 17 points, while Chris Paul finished with 16 points and seven assists for Phoenix.
ANOTHER POSTPONEMENT FORWIZARDS>> The Washington Wizards are now assured of going at least 11 days between games, after yet another postponement while the team deals with COVID-19 issues. The Wizards’ game that was scheduled to be played Wednesday in Charlotte is now off, the NBA said. That is the 14th postponement since Jan. 10 — and no team has had more games called off than the Wizards.
CAVS MOVE ON WITHOUT PORTER JR. >> The Cavaliers are moving on from forward Kevin Porter Jr., a person familiar with his standing with the team told The Associated Press. The Cavs will either trade or release Porter, who has not played for them this season. A firstround draft pick in 2019, Porter rejoined the team only last week after tending to personal issues. He was in street clothes and on the bench Friday night when the Cavs beat the New York Knicks.