The Brooklyn Nets, with Kevin Durant back after missing 23 games with a hamstring injury, largely outscored the New Orleans Pelicans 139 to 111 Wednesday night in the NBA, and are back in charge of the Eastern Conference or their mano a mano with Philadelphia continues.
Brooklyn, with Kyrie Irving scoring 24 points at 50% shooting success, a percentage that climbed to 67% at three points, led the way in this meeting, winning the first three quarters before a slight slack in the last while mass was being said (they were 33 points ahead at the start of this last period).
Kevin Durant, he played 19 minutes during which he scored 17 points with a 100% success everywhere, on shots (5/5) and free throws (5/5).
“It's great to see him back.
He had a big smile that crossed his face, ”said Nets coach Steve Nash.
The return of Durant made up for the absence of James Harden, injured adductor and who could be unavailable for ten days.
“We were dominated in large widths,” said Pelicans coach Stan Van Gundy.
"Our defense was nonsense."
The meeting took place in the presence of the public, limited to 1,700 people at the Barclays Center Arena because of anti-Covid health precautions.
Zion Williamson, back after an absence of three games because of a sprained thumb, was caught in the net of the Nets defense: he could only register 16 points with a poor 33% success on shots ( 4/12).
The other New York team, that of the Knicks, narrowly lost in Boston against the Celtics, winners of extreme narrow (101-99).
A precious victory for the Celtics, 7th in the Eastern Conference just ahead of the Knicks, in the race for the play-offs.
Utah Jazz: two fall
In the game at the top of the Western Conference, the Phoenix Suns snatched a 117-113 overtime victory over leaders Utah, who conceded their second loss in a row after nine straight wins.
The Suns are only a victory and a half behind the Jazz in the standings.
Devin Booker, even clumsy (13/31 on shots including 0/6 on 3 points) scored 35 points for the Suns, who not only won their seventh game in a row but also scored psychological points.
They had already beaten Utah this season in their previous showdown.
“Persistence paid off,” Booker said.
“We approached this game in the right way,” added the Suns player, who were able to count on the support of more than 5,000 spectators at the PHX Arena.
Little consolation for the Jazz, where the 18 rebounding of the French Rudy Gobert were not enough: the performance of Donovan Mitchell, who passed the 40 point mark (41).
In the other meetings of the evening, to note the victory of Denver, 4th in the Western conference, against San Antonio (106-96), and that, that, built by Charlotte, 4th in the East, in Oklahoma City (113 -102) being constant from end to end.
The results of the night:
Atlanta-
Memphis
113-131
Boston
-New York 101-99
Brooklyn
-New
Orleans 139-111
Phoenix
-Utah 117-113 (ap)
Denver
-San Antonio 106-96
Houston
-Dallas 102-93
Oklahoma City-
Charlotte
102- 113
Indiana
-Minnesota 141-137
Orlando-
Washington
116-131
Read also
NBA schedule and results
