Harden has triple-double in Nets debut
Durant scores 42 to boost Brooklyn past Orlando
NEW YORK — James Harden and Kevin Durant needed a little while to remember how to play together again.
Once they did, the Brooklyn Nets really got rolling — and they might still get to another gear when Kyrie Irving rejoins them.
“The sooner we can be on the court together, it’s going to be scary hours,” Harden said. They look pretty fearsome already. Harden delivered 32 points and a tripledouble in his Brooklyn debut, Durant scored a season-high 42 points in his first game back with his former teammate, and the Nets showed off their potent potential in a 122-115 victory over the Orlando Magic on Saturday night.
Harden had 14 assists and 12 rebounds after being cleared to play earlier in the afternoon after all the players in the blockbuster trade that brought him from Houston had completed their physicals. Harden also had nine turnovers and Durant had six, with some sloppiness while Harden got used to his new teammates.
“Early on I felt like we all were over-passing, trying to make everybody comfortable,” Durant said, “and then he just got into his mode of being aggressive to score and that opened up the whole game for others.”
Harden had no practice time with the Nets and sure didn’t need it, becoming the first player in franchise history to have a tripledouble in his debut.
Durant made five 3-pointers in his 10th game back following an 18-month layoff after rupturing his Achilles tendon in the 2019 NBA Finals. He hiked his average to 30.7 points, which would be his highest since he scored a league-leading 32 per game and won NBA MVP honors for Oklahoma City in 2014.
TRAIL BLAZERS 112, HAWKS 106: In Portland, Ore., Damian Lillard scored 36 points as Portland rebounded from a first-half deficit to beat Atlanta.
Enes Kanter added 12 points and 15 rebounds for the Blazers, who have won five of their last six.
SPURS 103, ROCKETS 91: In San Antonio, Texas, DeMar DeRozan scored 24 points, and Dejounte Murray had 18 points and 10 rebounds as San Antonio beat Houston to snap a four-game home losing streak.
Murray had seven points in the fourth quarter, including a breakaway dunk that put the Spurs up 97-85 with 3:18 remaining after stripping Mason Jones of the ball at midcourt.
GRIZZLIES 106, 76ERS 104: In Memphis, Tenn., Ja Morant scored 17 points in his return after missing eight games because of a left ankle injury, helping Memphis beat Philadelphia.
Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
PISTONS 120, HEAT 100: In Miami, Jerami Grant scored 24 points, Derrick Rose had 23 off the bench and Detroit handed Miami its third consecutive loss.
Blake Griffin scored 15 points for Detroit, which outscored Miami 38-19 in the third quarter to turn a four-point halftime deficit into a game fully under Pistons control.
RAPTORS 116, HORNETS 113: In Tampa, Fla., Chris Boucher, Kyle Lowry and Fred Van Fleet converted eight straight free throws in the final two minutes, helping Toronto beat Charlotte.
Norman Powell led the Raptors with 24 points, and Boucher added 20 points and nine rebounds.
Gordon Heyward scored 25 points and Terry Rozier had 24 for the Hornets.
Note
PACERS: Indiana will be without newly acquired Caris LeVert indefinitely after an MRI showed a mass on his left kidney during a physical to complete this week’s blockbuster four-team trade involving James Harden.