Nets need overtime for elusive home win
The Nets just needed any home win, so they weren’t about to complain when one that appeared to be coming easily almost didn’t come at all.
A blown lead late in regulation resulted in five more minutes, but it finally ended with their first win at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center since Dec. 16.
“Different challenges each game, so we figure out what they are, fight through them and do better,” forward Kevin Durant said.
Rookie Cam Thomas made a shot in the lane with 1.4 seconds left in overtime and the Nets beat the Spurs 121-119 on Sunday to snap a five-game home losing streak.
Durant scored 28 points for the Nets and James Harden had 26 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds. Both struggled after the Nets had a 10-point lead with 4 minutes to play in regulation, forcing the extra period.
The Spurs made Durant give up the ball on the Nets’ final possession and he got it to Thomas.
“If you wish and could make your wish come true, you don’t want him shooting the last shot, that’s for sure,” San Antonio head coach Gregg Popovich said of Durant. “But we let the young man go middle. A tough closeout. We needed to send him the opposite direction, so he made a tough shot.”
“I just trust the work I put in,” Thomas said. “I’ve put in a lot of work, so I’m always ready whenever KD or James kicks it to me in a situation like that.”
Mavericks 113, Bulls 99: Luka Doncic had 22 points, 14 rebounds and 14 assists for his third triple-double of the season as host Dallas won its sixth straight in snapping Chicago’s nine-game winning streak.
Josh Green and Maxi Kleber had season highs with 18 points each for the Mavs. It was a career high for Green, who scored nine in the fourth quarter, and Kleber tied a career high hitting six shots beyond the arc.
Nuggets 99, Thunder 95: Nikola Jokic had 22 points and 16 rebounds to help Denver win in Oklahoma City.
The Nuggets raced to a 22-4 lead in the first six minutes and shot 52% in the first half to take a 61-49 lead at the break.
Raptors 105, Pelicans 101: Pascal Siakam had 29 points and 10 rebounds, Fred VanVleet scored 32 points and host Toronto extended its winning streak to a season-high six games.
Jonas Valanciunas had 20 points and 17 rebounds, and Brandon Ingram scored 22 points for New Orleans, which has lost four of five.
Clippers 106, Hawks 93: Amir Coffey tied a career high with 21 points, Serge Ibaka added 16 and host Los Angeles beat Atlanta.
Bogdan Bogdanovic and Trae Young each had 19 points for Atlanta.
T’wolves 141, Rockets 123: Karl-Anthony Towns scored a season-high 40 points, D’Angelo Russell added 22 points and 10 assists and visiting Minnesota won its fourth straight game.
Wizards 102, Magic 100: Kyle Kuzma had 27 points and a career-best 22 rebounds, Bradley Beal scored 20 points and visiting Washington rallied in the fourth quarter to beat Orlando.