Kyrie Irving on Thursday finished with 27 points and nine assists, as the Brooklyn Nets stretched their winning streak to a season-high eight games with a 129-92 victory over the Orlando Magic.
The Nets recorded their most one-sided win of the season by shooting 61 percent from the floor over the last three quarters.
“We put a few possessions together and we ended the first quarter well, and I feel like that put us in position to take control of the pace of the game,” Irving said.
Photo: AFP
James Harden finished with 20 points, seven assists and nine rebounds for the Nets, who nailed 20 three-pointers in front of a pandemic-limited crowd of 327 people at the Barclays Center.
Reserve Landry Shamet added 19, while Joe Harris and Bruce Brown chipped in 14 apiece in a dominant win.
Brooklyn are on their longest winning streak since 2006 and won their sixth straight contest without Kevin Durant with a strained left hamstring.
Nikola Vucevic tallied 28 points and 12 rebounds for Orlando, who suffered their worst loss of the season, missing 27 of 36 threes.
“We can’t beat ourselves and we can’t turn the ball over, and that’s where it started,” Magic coach Steve Clifford said.
Meanwhile, Joel Embiid scored 23 points and pulled down nine rebounds as the first-placed Philadelphia 76ers took advantage of a rare off night by Luka Doncic to overpower the Dallas Mavericks 111-97.
Embiid shot five of 20 from the field, but made 11 of 12 free throws. Ben Simmons added 15 points and seven assists, while Seth Curry contributed 15 points for the Sixers, who improved to 14-2 at home.
“I was just being me. Doing what I do,” Simmons said.
In other games on Thursday, it was:
‧ Knicks 140, Kings 121
‧ Grizzlies 122, Clippers 94
‧ Nuggets 110, Wizards 112
‧ Bucks 129, Pelicans 125
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