Ben Simmons helps Brooklyn Nets continue winning streak
Ben Simmons will face boos and jeers when he returns to Philadephia. Photo: AAP
Brooklyn’s NBA season-best winning streak has been extended to nine games after a 125-117 victory at fellow Eastern Conference high flyers Cleveland.
In a battle between third and fourth in the division on Monday, the Nets inflicted a rare home loss on the Cavaliers, now 16-4, and improved their overall season record to 22-12, the same as Cleveland.
They both trail only Boston Celtics (24-10) and Milwaukee Bucks (22-11) in the East.
A confident Ben Simmons was busy in the opening quarter and helped the visitors to a 34-22 lead at the first break, and the hot hand of former Cavalier Kyrie Irving (four triples in a late 18-4 run) extended their advantage to 64-49 at halftime.
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Kevin Durant scored 32 points before fouling out with 1 minute 54 seconds remaining, while Irving also had 32 points on 7-of-11 from outside. T.J. Warren contributed 23 points with Royce O’Neale, Nic Claxton and Yuta Watanabe all scoring 10.
Simmons finished with only four points but added nine rebounds, eight assists, three steals and one block.
Darius Garland, with a game-high 46 points, and Donovan Mitchell combined for 61 points but the Cavs always chased the game, never leading after they were up 10-9.
Elsewhere, the league-worst Detroit Pistons were beaten 142-131 at home by the Los Angeles Clippers but only after overtime.
Paul George had a game-high 32 points for the visitors, whose win lifted them up to fourth in the West.
In the later games, Miami’s defence forced 22 turnovers, the last coming on Kyle Lowry’s steal in the closing seconds, to hold off visiting Minnesota, 113-110
Max Strus led the way with 19 points, including 5-of-10 shooting from beyond the arc.
Strus was one of five Miami players to score in double figures. Lowry finished with 18 points and a game-high nine assists.
Anthony Edwards led all scorers with 29 points for the Timberwolves.
Jonas Valanciunas had 20 points and 12 rebounds and short-handed New Orleans routed visiting Indiana, Pelicans 113-93 for their third win in a row.
Naji Marshall added a career-high 22 points for the Pelicans, who played without Zion Williamson (reconditioning), Brandon Ingram (toe), Herbert Jones Jr (health and safety protocols), Trey Murphy III (non-COVID illness) and Dyson Daniels (non-COVID illness).
Other winners were Houston, San Antonio and Portland.
