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Printed Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021 | 8:08 p.m.
Up to date 55 minutes in the past
NEW YORK (AP) — Kevin Durant and James Harden took turns placing on a present in entrance of the most important crowd ever to see a Nets recreation in Brooklyn, one which was cut up between followers of New York’s two groups.
In the long run, the Nets had been celebrating and the Knicks had been fuming.
In its tenth season, the matchup between groups only a few miles aside appeared like an actual rivalry.
“Being right here two years now, it doesn’t matter who’s on that workforce or who’s on this workforce, I believe the power’s all the time going to be there,” Harden mentioned. “… Whether or not it is right here or at MSG, the followers are going to be cheering for his or her respective groups and it’s going to be recreation each time, and tonight we’re simply glad to return out with the win.”
They received it after James Johnson made two free throws with 2.2 seconds left to offer the Nets a 112-110 victory Tuesday evening.
Harden had 34 factors, 10 rebounds and eight assists, and Durant heated up after a gradual begin to end with 27 factors and 9 assists. He had 11 factors within the closing 5:45, however the Knicks despatched a second defender to power him to offer the ball up on the final possession — as Durant suspected may occur.
“However it’s dangerous to do this within the fourth, I imply the final shot of the sport,” he mentioned. “And yeah, I used to be ready for it popping out of the timeout.”
The ball went to Johnson, who was fouled within the lane and made the free throws for the ultimate factors of an entertaining, nationally televised undercard to the Warriors-Suns primary occasion.
Alec Burks scored a season-high 25 factors in his new function because the Knicks’ place to begin guard.
Julius Randle added 24 factors, 9 rebounds and eight assists. However he took solely two free throws and was hit with a late technical foul for complaining about not getting calls.
“As aggressive as I play, attacking the paint, I can’t be penalized for simply being stronger than individuals and that’s the reply that I received as we speak,” Randle mentioned.
The groups traded leads all through the fourth quarter in entrance of an introduced crowd of 18,081.
The Nets had spotlight performs all around the flooring to open the second half, with Harden’s hovering comply with slam and DeAndre’ Bembry’s swatted shot into the seats coming throughout a 14-0 spurt that turned a one-point halftime deficit right into a 74-61 lead.
Brooklyn had the lead as much as 16 with 4 minutes left within the third interval, however the Knicks whittled it all the way down to 88-84 heading to the fourth. The lead was by no means greater than that within the closing 12 minutes.
However the Knicks did not do sufficient in a recreation the place the Nets shot 25 free throws to their 12.
“I would like to try the movie. There’s a giant discrepancy in free throws. I can let you know that,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau mentioned angrily. “Julius is driving the ball, and he will get two free throws.”
TIP-INS
Knicks: RJ Barrett performed solely 8 1/2 minutes due to sickness. … Derrick Rose had 16 factors and 9 assists off the bench.
Nets: Harden surpassed 2,500 3-pointers, becoming a member of Ray Allen, Stephen Curry and Reggie Miller. …. With Kyrie Irving absent all season after refusing to get vaccinated as mandated in New York Metropolis and Joe Harris recovering from ankle surgical procedure, Durant has needed to tackle a heavier load than anticipated.
“It’s not perfect to have him have such a burden, however I don’t know what choices now we have aside from to play him much less and lose extra,” coach Steve Nash mentioned.
TOUGH TIMES
Kemba Walker, changed as the start line guard for the Knicks, is not the one former All-Star to go from former starter to not enjoying. Blake Griffin has fallen out of the Nets’ rotation.
“Kemba’s an incredible human being, nice teammate,” Nash mentioned. “Regardless of how nice a teammate and the way nice an angle you have got, to take that state of affairs into consideration, it’s very troublesome for a man who competes and desires to play and prepares the way in which he does to play.”
HAPPY HARDEN
Harden let loose a loud yell and did a dance after his comply with dunk within the third quarter.
“Which may’ve been the primary one in all my profession, 13 years, so I needed to let it out,” he mentioned. “It wasn’t that nice once I appeared on the spotlight, nevertheless it felt nice, that’s all that issues.”
UP NEXT
Knicks: Host Chicago on Thursday.
Nets: Host Minnesota on Friday.
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Extra AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sport
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