Durant returns to fire Warriors past 76ers
James and Irving lead Cavs to win over Bucks
PHILADELPHIA: Kevin Durant returned from injury with a bang on Monday, scoring 27 points as the Golden State Warriors overpowered the Philadelphia 76ers 119-108.
Durant, who missed the Warriors previous game with a bruised left hand, showed no sign of lingering after-effects to help power the Dubs to their fourth straight victory.
The Warriors, who are already assured of a place in the play-offs, improved to a league best 50-9 after rattling up their seventh win in eight games.
Klay Thompson added 21 points for Golden State while Zaza Pachulia scored a season best 16 points.
Draymond Green chipped in with 14 points, 11 rebounds and five steals.
But it was a rare off-night for Stephen Curry. The Warriors star contributed a respectable 19 points but drew a blank from three-point range, missing all 11 of his attempts.
It was only the third time in 211 games Curry has failed to connect with at least one three-pointer.
“I forgot to adjust to the thickness of the air,” Curry joked. “It happens, but you have to find other ways to impact the game.”
The Warriors eventually pulled clear against an underpowered Sixers team early in the fourth quarter, moving into a 99-87 lead.
The Sixers fought back however when Golden State’s David West was called for a flagrant after a clash with Dario Saric.
Saric drained two free throws before Nik Stauskas scored to cut the Warriors lead to 99-91 with just under eight minutes left.
But that was the cue for a sustained scoring run by the Warriors, with West making three assists in quick succession to help Golden State into a 106-92 lead with just under six minutes to go.
“I thought we played a really good game,” Golden State coach Steve Kerr said. “We just couldn’t make a shot. But we made up for it by getting to the freethrow line.”
The defeat capped a day of disappointment for the Sixers who earlier revealed that rookie centre Joel Embiid — the team’s top scorer and rebounder — faced an indefinite layoff due to a knee injury.
In Cleveland, LeBron James returned from a bout of strep throat and scored 24 points while Kyrie Irving added 25 as Cleveland held off Milwaukee 102-95.
James missed Saturday’s loss to Chicago — the Cavs fell to 0-4 this season without their superstar — and was listed as questionable before arriving at Quicken Loans Arena. He looked fit from the start, delivering an early dunk and adding one in the fourth that he capped by screaming, “That’s and one!’’ at MiIwaukee’s John Henson, who fouled him.
James’ dunk triggered an 11-0 run that helped put away the Bucks, who were within 86-85 midway through the fourth.
Malcolm Brogdon scored 20 to lead Milwaukee, and Bucks All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo scored just nine on 4-of13 shooting.
The Bucks may have sustained a costly injury as forward Michael Beasley sprained his left knee in the first half.
in Boston, Dennis Schroder had 21 points to help Atlanta snap a three-game losing streak with a chippy 114-98 win over Boston.
Paul Millsap and Dwight Howard each added 17 points. The Hawks led by 13 entering the fourth quarter and increased the edge to 24 despite playing the final 16 minutes without Howard, who was ejected in the third quarter after receiving his second technical foul.
Isaiah Thomas had 19 points as the Celtics ended a seven-game home winning streak.
Boston was off all night offensively, despite the return of guard Avery Bradley to the starting line-up after missing 22 of the previous 23 games with a right Achilles tendon injury.
Bradley was on a minutes’ restriction, logging 15 while scoring six points.