Durant, Irving lead Nets in comeback win over Nuggets
Kevin Durant #7 of the Brooklyn Nets puts up a shot over Michael Porter Jr. #1 of the Denver Nuggets in the fourth quarter at Ball Arena on May 08, 2021 in Denver, Colorado. Matthew Stockman/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by MATTHEW STOCKMAN / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
Kevin Durant had 33 points and 11 rebounds, Kyrie Irving scored 31 and the visiting Brooklyn Nets rallied to beat the Denver Nuggets 125-119 on Saturday night.
Blake Griffin scored 20 points and Jeff Green added 15 for Brooklyn as the Nets (44-24) ended a four-game skid.
Article continues after this advertisementNikola Jokic scored 29 points, Michael Porter Jr. had 28, Facu Campazzo tied his career-high with 19 points, Markus Howard scored 13 and Austin Rivers 12 for the Nuggets. Denver played without Aaron Gordon due to calf tightness.
Brooklyn opened the fourth quarter on an 11-4 run to tie the game 108-108. Porter’s put-back dunk put the Nuggets back in front and Joe Harris hit a corner 3-pointer to give Brooklyn a 111-110 lead, its first since 3-0. A turnover and missed shot by Denver was followed by a Durant dunk to make it a three-point lead with 5:12 left.
Irving hit a 10-foooter and then split a pair of free throws, Jokic hit an 18-foot fadeaway and Durant hit a mid-range jumper to make it 118-114.
Article continues after this advertisement33 for KD, 31 for Kyrie to spark the @BrooklynNets 21-point comeback win in Denver! pic.twitter.com/yNxNXGA54P
— NBA (@NBA) May 9, 2021
JaMychal Green’s three-point play made it a one-point game before Durant and Jokic traded made free throws. The Nets had two empty possessions but the Nuggets couldn’t take advantage and Brooklyn was able hold on.
Porter scored 21 points in the first half for the second consecutive night, and his steal and dunk late in the second quarter gave Denver a 66-45 lead, its biggest of the night.
The Nuggets scored the final six points of the period to take a 15-point lead into the half.
Brooklyn kept surging to start the third quarter. Griffin made two 3-pointers and Irving scored 10 points in the first 3:55 of the period to pull the Nets within 77-74.
Campazzo and Porter hit 3-pointers to stretch the lead to 83-74. Griffin stayed hot, hitting two more from deep to keep Brooklyn within reach.
Jokic made two free throws to put Denver ahead by 12 but the Nets pulled within 104-97 heading into the fourth.
