Kevin Durant #7 of the Brooklyn Nets dunks during the first half against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena on December 10, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. Todd Kirkland/Getty Images/AFP
Kevin Durant scored 31 points and James Harden collected 20 points and 11 assists to lift the visiting Brooklyn Nets to a 113-105 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday.
Durant made 12 of 22 shots from the floor to torment the Hawks for the second time this season. He scored 32 points in Brooklyn’s 117-108 home win over Atlanta on Nov. 3.
LaMarcus Aldridge and Bruce Brown each had 15 points for the Nets, who exploited the interior by scoring 66 points in the paint. Brooklyn also stepped it up in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Hawks by a 24-14 margin.
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Trae Young recorded 31 points and 10 assists, marking the fifth straight game he has reached at least 25 and 10, respectively.
Atlanta’s John Collins had 20 points and Kevin Huerter sank five 3-pointers to highlight his 19-point performance. Clint Capela collected 14 points and 16 rebounds and Danilo Gallinari added 13 points for the Hawks, who have lost three of their last four games.
Durant made a mid-range jumper to give Brooklyn a 97-95 lead with 7:02 remaining in the fourth quarter. James Johnson followed with a layup and Harden added four quick points to cap an 8-0 run for the Nets.
Capela’s basket and Young’s 3-pointer and driving layup pulled the Hawks within one with 3:35 to play. However, Harden answered with a layup at the other end.
Durant forced a turnover at one end and sank a 19-foot jumper at the other to give Brooklyn a 107-102 lead with 2:14 remaining. He essentially sealed the win by making four straight foul shots down the stretch.
Atlanta scored 18 of the first 28 points of the third quarter to secure a 73-62 lead, capped by Huerter’s fourth 3-pointer of the night. Undaunted, Brooklyn slowly chipped away before Cam Thomas calmly sank a pair of 3-pointers to give the Nets an 89-88 lead.
Durant made 6 of 8 shots from the floor to finish with 12 points in the first quarter. He drained a mid-range jumper and a driving layup to pull the Nets into a tie at 26 to the end the period.