Durant, Harden help Nets hand Mavs 5th straight home loss

Tue, Dec 7, 2021
NBA News (AP)

DALLAS (AP) - Kevin Durant scored 24 points, James Harden had 23 points and 12 assists, and the Brooklyn Nets beat Dallas 102-99 on Tuesday night, handing the Mavericks their fifth consecutive home loss.

The Eastern Conference-leading Nets erased a 17-point third-quarter deficit to avoid back-to-back losses for the first time this season. Brooklyn squandered a double-digit lead after halftime in a loss to Chicago.

Luka Doncic scored 28 points but had another rough night from 3-point range except for the 30-footer he banked in just before the first-half buzzer. Kristaps Porzingis had 17 points and 12 rebounds.

Harden, who also had nine rebounds, easily beat Doncic one-on-one for a layup and Brooklyn's biggest lead at 100-97 with 1:23 remaining. The Nets didn't take their first lead until the middle of the fourth quarter.

Dallas didn't make a basket after Doncic's short jumper with 3:51 to go.

KNICKS 121, SPURS 109

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - R.J. Barrett made a career-high seven 3-pointers and scored 32 points, and New York beat San Antonio to snap a three-game skid.

Alec Burks scored 18 points, Immanuel Quickley added 16 points and Julius Randle had 15 for the Knicks, who hadn't won at San Antonio since Jan. 2, 2014.

Derrick White had 26 points, six rebounds and seven assists for the Spurs, who have dropped two straight after a season-long three-game winning streak. Dejounte Murray added 15 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.

___

More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports