Durant, Harden help Nets win for sixth time in 7 games
Kevin Durant scored 30 points and James Harden had his 59th career triple double in the Brooklyn Nets’ 123-90 victory over the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night.
Durant, the NBA’s leading scorer at 29.5 points per game, made 11 of 12 shots, including both of his 3-point attempts, to help Brooklyn win for the sixth time in seven games. Harden had 17 points, 11 rebounds and 11 as- sists to help. The two stars sat out the fourth quarter, with the Nets up 94-75 after three.
LaMarcus Aldridge came off the bench with a big sec- ond quarter to put visiting Brooklyn in command. He had 21 points and eight re- bounds.
Terrence Ross led Orlando with 17 points.
BUCKS 112, KNICKS 100 >> Pat Connaughton scored a sea- son-high 23 points, making three late 3-pointers to swing a wild second half back in Milwaukee’s favor, and the Bucks blew a 24-point lead before winning at New York.
Less than a week after the Knicks came from 21 down to win 113-98 at Milwaukee, the Bucks opened a 7046 cushion midway through the third quarter. But the Knicks’ reserves wiped that away and the game was tied with five minutes to play.
Jrue Holiday scored 18 points and Giannis Antetokounmpo had 15 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists for the Bucks. They won at Philadelphia on Tuesday night.
Derrick Rose had 22 points and seven assists for New York.
CELTICS 104, RAPTORS 88 >> Jayson Tatum had 22 points, 12 rebounds and seven as- sists in Boston’s victory over visiting Toronto.
Robert Williams III added 16 points and 13 rebounds, with a career-best eight coming on the offensive glass. Dennis Schroder scored 20 points, Josh Richardson had 15 and Marcus Smart 13.
Scottie Barnes led Toronto with 21 points.
WIZARDS 97, CAVALIERS 94 >> Kyle Kuzma hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 12 seconds left and Washington scored the final five points to win at Cleveland.
Kuzma scored 12 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, including two 3-pointers in the final 26 seconds. Montrezl
Harrell led the Wizards with 24 points and 11 rebounds.
Ricky Rubio had 20 points for Cleveland.
BULLS 117, MAVERICKS 107 >> Zach LaVine scored 23 points and Lonzo Ball made seven of Chicago’s 15 3-pointers, helping the Bulls top visiting Dallas.
Five players scored in double figures for Chicago during its second straight victory. Nikola Vucevic had 18 points and 10 rebounds, and DeMar DeRozan finished with 17 points. Dallas had won three straight and four of five overall, but it couldn’t keep up with LaVine and the Bulls in the second half. HORNETS 118, GRIZZLIES 108 >> Kelly Oubre Jr. scored a season-best 37 points on 13-of-17 shooting and Charlotte won at Memphis to snap a fivegame losing streak.
Oubre matched his career high with seven 3-points on nine attempts and broke the franchise record for points off the bench.
Gordon Hayward added 25 points for Charlotte. LaMelo Ball, who was coming off a triple-double of 25 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists Monday night in an overtime loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, fell just short of his second consecutive triple-double with 12 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.
PISTONS 112, ROCKETS 104 >> Jerami Grant scored a season-high 35 points to help Detroit win at Houston in a matchup of two of the worst teams in the NBA.
Grant shot 12 of 23 from the field, including 4 of 9 from 3-point range. It was a stark contrast to his last game when he went 0 for 9 from the field, missing four 3s, in a 96-90 loss to Brooklyn on Friday night.
Detroit improved to 2-8, and Houston dropped to 1-10.
THUNDER 108, PELICANS 100 >> Lu Dort scored 27 points, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 24 points, and Oklahoma City beat the reeling Pelicans at New Orleans for their third straight victory.