Collin Sexton on Wednesday scored a game-high 42 points, as the Cleveland Cavaliers overcame a James Harden triple-double and spoiled the debut of the Brooklyn Nets’ “Big Three” with a 147-135 double overtime victory.
The marathon contest was supposed to showcase the Nets’ star trio of Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving playing together for the first time together.
Irving finished with 37 points, Harden had a triple-double of 21 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists, and Durant tallied a team-high 38 points and 12 rebounds, but it was not enough as the Cavaliers had seven players in double-figure scoring at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse arena in Cleveland.
Photo: AFP
Turkey’s Cedi Osman scored 25 points, while Taurean Prince came off the bench to notch 17, as the Cavaliers bench outscored the Nets reserves 44-10.
“We seemed a little lost at times, which is natural because we haven’t played together, so there’s a little indecision,” Nets coach Steve Nash said.
“We started the game turning the ball over, we had seven or eight in the first quarter. We cleaned it up and got ourselves back in the game, but obviously we have to defend better,” he said.
“We’re just getting a feel for each other, and this is a process that’s gonna take the entire year,” he added.
Irving missed seven games for undisclosed purposes, but was slapped with a US$50,000 fine by the league while he was out for breaching the league’s COVID-19 safety rules.
He was punished after video surfaced showing him attending a family birthday event without wearing a mask.
Brooklyn had won five of seven games without Irving and it was just their third loss since Jan. 5.
“We will have good nights, we will have great nights, but it is how we galvanize this group together, and how we sacrifice and compromise for the greater good,” Irving said. “That still remains to be seen, obviously one game is out the way, but I am excited for what’s to come.”
Sexton hit the game-tying three-pointer with 1.2 seconds left in the first overtime period and scored 15 of his 42 in the second extra session.
Sexton set the tone for Cleveland in the second overtime, hitting a free throw early and then draining a three-pointer with three minutes left, giving the Cavs a 134-127 lead.
Sexton nailed his fifth and final three-pointer with 89 seconds left to make it 142-131, as the Cavaliers dominated down the stretch.
Sexton surpassed his previous career high of 41, set in March last year against Boston, by scoring 31 points after halftime.
He shot 16 of 29 from the field overall after missing the previous five games with an ankle injury.
Durant missed a potential game-winner at the buzzer in the first overtime as he, Irving and Harden all played the final 18 minutes of the game, but could not finish the job.
“It felt right, felt perfect, felt like we belong together,” Durant said.
COVID-19 TAKES TOLL
Elsewhere in the league, a Memphis Grizzlies game against the Portland Trail Blazers was postponed with the Grizzlies depleted by COVID-19 contact tracing, the NBA said.
The league also postponed the Washington Wizards’ game against the Milwaukee Bucks because of COVID-19 health and safety rules.
The 16th and 17th virus postponements of the season came as the league announced that of 502 players tested for COVID-19 since Wednesday last week, 11 new players had returned a confirmed positive test.
The league’s protocols require anyone who tests positive, or who is identified as coming in close contact with an infected person, to isolate or quarantine.
In other games on Wednesday, it was:
‧ Hawks 123, Pistons 115 (OT)
‧ 76ers 117, Celtics 109
‧ Mavericks 124, Pacers 112
‧ Heat 111, Raptors 102
‧ Magic 97, Timberwolves 96
‧ Warriors 121, Spurs 99
‧ Clippers 115, Kings 96
‧ Suns 109, Rockets 103
Additional reporting by Reuters
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