NBA: Kevin Durant scores 37, scorching Nets top Jazz
Kevin Durant #7 of the Brooklyn Nets drives against Rudy Gay #8 of the Utah Jazz during their game at Barclays Center on March 21, 2022 in New York City. Al Bello/Getty Images/AFP
Kevin Durant scored 15 of his 37 points in the third quarter as the Brooklyn Nets surged ahead and held on for a 114-106 victory over the Utah Jazz on Monday night in New York.
The Nets won for the sixth time in seven games following a 3-17 skid as Durant posted his 20th 30-point showing of the season. He made 5 of 7 shots in the third when the Nets shot 60.9 percent (14 of 23) and outscored Utah 38-24.
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The Nets looking to close it out late on NBA TV pic.twitter.com/q9GgqQ1WtH
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Durant finished 15 of 23 from the floor and scored at least 35 points in consecutive games for the first time this season. He added nine rebounds and also collected eight of Brooklyn’s 31 assists.
Bruce Brown added a season-best 22 points with seven rebounds and five assists as the Nets shot 54.2 percent. Nic Claxton filled in for starting center Andre Drummond (non-COVID illness) and added 11 of his 15 in the decisive third.
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— NBA (@NBA) March 22, 2022
Patty Mills contributed 13 as the Nets began taking control shortly after Seth Curry exited with a left ankle sprain. Curry slipped on a wet spot opposite Utah’s bench with about four minutes left in the second quarter and was ruled out for the game at halftime.
Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points on 9-for-23 shooting as the Jazz saw their three-game winning streak stopped. Jordan Clarkson added 19 and Mike Conley chipped in 18 with seven assists as Utah was held to 44.6 percent from the field.
Clarkson scored 10 points as the Jazz took a 28-25 lead when he hit a 3-pointer with 17 seconds left in the opening quarter. The Jazz went scoreless for the final 3:01 of the second as the Nets ripped off eight straight points for a 53-51 lead by halftime.
Brooklyn ripped off a 10-0 run to get a 75-62 lead on Durant’s 12-footer with 6:24 remaining. Brooklyn stretched the lead to 84-68 when Durant knocked down a 3-pointer with 2:52 remaining and held a 91-75 edge into the fourth.
Durant appeared to clinch it by hitting an 11-footer and a 3-pointer on consecutive possessions to give Brooklyn a 108-87 lead with 6:09 remaining.
Utah was within 110-102 on Rudy Gobert’s dunk with 98 seconds left but Durant hit a 10-footer on the next possession. Following an errant pass by Blake Griffin, Mitchell hit two free throws to make it 112-106 with 57.2 seconds left but Durant connected with Claxton for an alley-oop dunk with 37.4 seconds left.
