James Harden missed a jumper with a chance for the lead, but tracked down the rebound and fired it out to a wide-open Kevin Durant — plays like that on Monday were why the Brooklyn Nets edged the Milwaukee Bucks 125-123.
“They wake up, come to the game and they score 30,” the Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo said. “If you’re not aggressive and you’re not locked in against them, they’re going to score 50.”
Durant finished with 30 points, nine rebounds and six assists, including a go-ahead three-pointer with 36 seconds left, while Harden had 34 points and 12 assists.
Photo: Brad Penner-USA TODAY
The Nets are 2-0 since last week’s acquisition of Harden, who is averaging 33 points and 13 assists in his new uniform.
It was the Nets’ fourth consecutive victory against the Bucks — another matchup pitting head-to-head the NBA Eastern Conference’s best teams, right down to the tense finish when Khris Middleton missed a potential winning three-pointer from the corner.
“It’s a huge win for us,” Harden said. “This is our second game together and we haven’t had one practice.”
Antetokounmpo had 34 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists for the Bucks, who had their four-game winning streak stopped. Middleton added 25 points, while Jrue Holiday had 22.
Harden had 11 points at halftime, but he picked it up in the second half and contributed to the biggest play of the game.
He swooped in to grab the rebound of his own three-pointer that was off with the Nets trailing by one and passed to Durant, who nailed the shot that made it 125-123.
Durant could have put it away, but turned it over on the Nets’ next possession. However, the Bucks held on when Middleton’s shot was just off from in front of his bench.
Kyrie Irving missed his seventh straight game after leaving the team for personal reasons, with coach Steve Nash saying that he could return today in Cleveland, Ohio.
Also on Monday, it was:
‧ Warriors 115, Lakers 113
‧ Knicks 91, Magic 84
‧ Bulls 125, Rockets 120
‧ Spurs 125, Trail Blazers 104
‧ Heat 113, Pistons 107
‧ Hawks 108, Timberwolves 97
‧ Grizzlies 108, Suns 104
‧ Raptors 116, Mavericks 93
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was