Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets dribbles against Seth Curry of the Philadelphia 76ers during their game at Barclays Center on December 16, 2021. (Getty Images via AFP)
LOS ANGELES – Kevin Durant finished with 34 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists as the short-handed Brooklyn Nets beat Joel Embiid’s Philadelphia 76ers 114-105 on Thursday in New York.
Durant, who is the league’s leading scorer, delivered a four-point play with 1:46 remaining and the game tied.
The first-place Nets were missing seven players because of Covid-19, leaving them with just nine players available for the game, played in front of a crowd of 17,000 at Barclays Center arena.
It was Brooklyn’s second straight game without starters James Harden, LaMarcus Aldridge and DeAndre’ Bembry, along with reserves Bruce Brown, Paul Millsap, Jevon Carter and James Johnson.
Blake Griffin and Nic Claxton each tallied a season-high 17 points while Patty Mills scored 14 as Brooklyn won their fourth straight.
The Nets had just eight players available for Tuesday’s game against the Toronto Raptors. Brooklyn is being forced to implement a hardship exception to try and add players to the roster.
Embiid had 32 points, nine rebounds and six assists in the 76ers’ third straight loss. Seth Curry scored 29 points. Embiid was averaging 27 points coming into Thursday’s contest.
The game was similar to Brooklyn’s 114-109 win over the Sixers in October when Durant earned a triple double of 29 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists.
Pacers stop Pistons
In Indianapolis, Caris LeVert tallied a season-high 31 points as the Indiana Pacers handed the Detroit Pistons their 13th consecutive loss 122-113.
Domantas Sabonis of the Indiana Pacers shoots the ball against the Detroit Pistons at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on December 16, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Getty Images via AFP)
Justin Holiday had 17 points, while Myles Turner contributed 16 points, seven rebounds and four blocks for Indiana.
Chris Duarte supplied 15 points, nine rebounds and four assists, Domantas Sabonis added 12 points and Jeremy Lamb scored 11 points.