Irving, Nets snap Clippers’ three-game winning streak

NEW YORK — Kyrie Irving scored a seasonhigh 39 points, including eight straight in the fourthquarter run that sent Brooklyn into the lead for good, and the Nets beat the Los Angeles Clippers 124-120 on Tuesday night.

Kevin Durant added 28 points, James Harden had 23 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds, and the three stars scored all the points in the decisive 13-0 spurt.

The Nets held on from there to snap the Clippers’ three-game winning streak.

Kawhi Leonard scored 33 points and Paul George had 26 for the Clippers, who entered with the NBA’s best record and lost for just the second time in 12 games.

They had a five-point lead midway through the fourth before Durant hit a 3-pointer, Irving followed with one of his own, then made a basket and another 3. Harden finished off the spurt with a 3, making it 110-102 with 4:10 to play.

The Clippers got it down to one in the final seconds before Irving’s free throws closed it out.

The Nets were trying to bounce back from an embarrassing defensive performance, when they gave up 48 points in the fourth quarter Sunday in a 149-146 loss to Washington, which has the fewest wins in the league.

Looking good defensively promised to be difficult against a Clippers team that came in leading the NBA in 3-point percentage. They finished 15 for 36, right at their average of 41.7 percent, but Irving hit six behind the arc in Brooklyn’s sixth straight home victory.

RAPTORS 123, MAGIC 108

In Orlando, Fla., Fred VanVleet set a franchise record with 54 points and hit a career-best 11 3-pointers as Toronto beat shorthanded Orlando.

VanVleet made 11 of his first 12 attempts from 3point range. He finished 17 of 23 from the field and 9 for 9 at the free throw line to surpass the previous Raptors record of 52 points scored by DeMar DeRozan on Jan. 1, 2018.

TRAIL BLAZERS 132 WIZARDS 121

In Washington, Damian Lillard scored 32 points, Gary Trent Jr. added 26 while hitting seven 3-pointers and the short-handed Portland held on for the victory. Enes Kanter had 14 points and 15 rebounds for Portland, which improved to 2-2 on its six-game road trip.

PACERS 134, GRIZZLIES 116

In Indianapolis, Domantas Sabonis had a seasonhigh 32 points and 13 rebounds as Indiana snapped Memphis’ sevengame winning streak.

JAZZ 117, PISTONS 105

In Salt Lake City, Donovan Mitchell scored a game-high 32 points and Utah went on an 8-0 run to close out its 12th win out of 14 games. Jerami Grant led Detroit with 27 points.

CELTICS 111, WARRIORS 107

In San Francisco, Jayson Tatum scored 27 points as Boston withstood Stephen Curry’s game-high 38 points.