Durant, Nets storm past Knicks at MSG

NEW YORK — Kevin Durant had 32 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds, leading the Brooklyn Nets back from 21 points down to a 110-98 victory over the New York Knicks on Wednesday night that strengthened their chances of the best spot possible next week in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament.

After watching the Nets come back from 28 down when he was hurt in their last visit to Madison Square Garden, Durant scored 23 points in the second half to fuel this comeback that pulled Brooklyn within a game of Cleveland for seventh place in the East.

The Nets host the Cavaliers on Friday night. If they win that and then beat Indiana on Sunday in their regular-season finale, they would finish seventh and need to win one game in two chances at home in the play-in to qualify for the postseason.

Kyrie Irving added 24 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for the Nets, who swept the four-game season series and beat the Knicks for the seventh straight time, their longest winning streak in the local rivalry since taking a franchise-record 11 in a row from 1984-86.

It appeared it would go the Knicks’ way most of the night, and they were still ahead by 18 with under four minutes left in the third quarter. But Brooklyn cut it to 10 by the end of the period, then opened the fourth with a 15-2 spurt to storm into the lead.

The Knicks recovered to go back ahead by three, but Durant scored eight straight Brooklyn points, including the tiebreaking jumper that made it 98-96 with 4:15 to play. The Nets followed with 3-pointers by Irving, Seth Curry and Patty Mills to break it open.

Curry and Mills each scored 15 points.

Alec Burks scored 24 points, and RJ Barrett had 23 for the Knicks, who were in control after a 19-0 run spanning the first and second quarters.

The Knicks closed the first quarter with a 10-0 spurt to take a 29-25 lead. They ran off the first nine of the second period, making it 38-25 on Obi Toppin’s basket just over two minutes in. New York got consecutive 3-pointers from Barrett and Evan Fournier to make it 63-46 and the lead was still 17 at the break.

Burks opened the third quarter with a 3-pointer and Barrett knocked down a free throw to make it 71-50, but New York would get only 11 more points and shoot 5 for 20 in the quarter. Durant hit a pair of 3s in a 10-2 run to end the period that trimmed it to 82-72.

CELTICS 117, BULLS 94

CHICAGO — Jaylen Brown scored 25 points, Al Horford added 17 on 7-of-7 shooting and the Boston Celtics routed the Chicago Bulls 117-94 for their 50th victory.

The Celtics have won three in a row and are 27-6 since Jan. 22. They can wrap up the second spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs Thursday night with a victory at Milwaukee.

Jayson Tatum scored 16 points for Boston. He was 5 of 18 from the field, making only one of eight from 3point range.

The Bulls have lost two straight. They claimed a playoff berth Tuesday.

DeMar DeRozan scored 16 points for Chicago, and Nikola Vucevic added 13 points. Vucevic had four of the Bulls’ 17 turnovers.

The Celtics had a 16-4 run midway through the first quarter to take a 31-14 lead. They shot 57.8% in the first half, going 9 of 18 from 3point range. Reserve guard Payton Pritchard was 3for-3 from long distance in the second quarter.

Coming off a home loss to Milwaukee on Tuesday night, the Bulls committed 10 turnovers in the first half. Their frontline depth was weakened when forward Patrick Williams committed his fourth foul with 4:31 left in the second quarter.

Bulls guard Zach LaVine was 1 of 5 from the filed in the first quarter, didn’t attempt a shot in the second quarter and finished 2 of 9. He had seven points.

Former President Barack Obama attended the game.