Irving helps Nets beat Pacers 129-121
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Kyrie Irving scored 22 points and sparked Brooklyn to a big rally in the second half of his season debut, Kevin Durant had 39 and the Nets beat the Indiana Pacers 129-121 on Wednesday night.
Irving is ineligible to play home games because he is not vaccinated as mandated in New York City, and the Nets had decided against allowing him to just play road games for most of the season.
But they changed their mind last month and were glad they did Wednesday, when Irving helped them charge back from a 19-point deficit. The point guard played 32 minutes as Brooklyn snapped a three-game losing streak.
Domantas Sabonis had 32 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists for the Pacers, who have lost in six in a row. Lance Stephenson, who had two previous stints with the Pacers, scored 30 in his first home game with the Pacers after signing a 10-day contract.
Stephenson delighted the home crowd by scoring the final 20 points for the Pacers in the first quarter as Indiana took a 3732 lead. He hit 8 of 9 shots, 4 of 5 3-pointers in that six-plus minute stretch.
MAVERICKS 99, WARRIORS 82
DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic scored 26 points and Dallas celebrated before a ceremony to retire Dirk Nowitzki's number by beating cold-shooting Stephen Curry and Golden State.
The Mavericks knew the night belonged to their franchise icon, and that Nowitzki's No. 41 wasn't going to the rafters until after they played the team with the NBA's best record coming in.
Dallas responded with its first four-game winning streak of the season in Doncic's third game back since a career-long, 10game absence caused by left ankle and knee issues and a positive COVID-19 test. The only concern for the Mavericks was Doncic limping off the floor in the final two minutes and not returning.
Curry was coming off his worst shooting night of the season and wasn't much better, going 5 of 24, including 1 of 9 from 3-point range, to finish with 14 points.
Andrew Wiggins scored 17 points for Golden State. At 29-8, the Warriors dropped into a tie with the Phoenix Suns for the best record in the NBA.
HORNETS 140, PISTONS 111
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kelly Oubre Jr. hit a career-high nine of Charlotte's franchiserecord 24 3-pointers and the Hornets routed Detroit.
Oubre had eight 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, tying an NBA record set by Milwaukee's Michael Redd in 2002. Oubre was 8 of 9 on 3s in the fourth quarter before being subbed out with 4:08 left and the Hornets leading by 35.
Golden State's Klay Thompson holds the league record for 3-pointers in a quarter with nine, that coming in the third quarter of a game in 2015.
Oubre was 9 of 14 from 3point range and the Hornets shot 57.1% at 24 of 42.
Gordon Hayward and Miles Bridges each had 19 points to help the Hornets beat the Pistons for the 14th straight time. Trey Lyles had 17 points for Detroit.
SPURS 99, CELTICS 97
BOSTON (AP) — Gregg Popovich became the first to coach 2,000 NBA games with the same team, and Dejounte Murray scored 22 points to lead San Antonio past Boston.
Devin Vassell and Derrick White each had 17 points to help the Spurs snap a four-game losing streak.
Jaylen Brown led Boston with 30 points after scoring a careerhigh 50 in a victory over Orlando in the Celtics' last game, but had a driving layup roll off the rim just before the buzzer sounded.
JAZZ 115, NUGGETS 109
DENVER (AP) — Bojan Bogdanovic scored a season-high 36 points and Utah beat Denver to stretch its road winning streak to 10 games.
Rudy Gay had 18 points and Donovan Mitchell added 17 for the Jazz.
Nuggets star Nikola Jokic had 26 points, 21 rebounds and 11 assists for his 64th career tripledouble. Monte Morris and Will Barton added 20 points apiece.
76ERS 116, MAGIC 106
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Joel Embiid scored 31 points, Tobias Harris added 22 and Philadelphia beat Orlando.
The 76ers, who notched their NBA-best 14th road victory of the season, tied a season high with a fifth straight win overall. They beat Orlando for the second time this season and 10th straight overall.