NEW YORK • Of the eight previous National Basketball Association (NBA) games the Brooklyn Nets have played before Thursday, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant have scored team-high points in all but one of them.
Both of them were absent against the Philadelphia 76ers but the Nets did not miss them much, even if they were playing against a team who were on top of the league.
Joe Harris led with 28 points as the short-handed Brooklyn snapped Philadelphia’s (7-2) five-game winning streak with a 122-109 win on Thursday to improve to 5-4.
Caris LeVert added 22 points and had 10 assists as the Nets cooled off the NBA’s hottest team despite missing their two top players.
“We are a totally different team when those guys are out here,” guard LeVert said. “But I think we’ve done a great job of having a next-man-up mentality, guys stepping into those roles and fulfilling what we need as a team.”
Durant sat out due to Covid-19 protocols and Irving missed the game due to “personal reasons”.
Nets coach Steve Nash said before the game that Irving’s absence surprised him and he was unsure of the exact issue.
“I sent him a message in the last half-hour and haven’t heard back yet,” he said. “But obviously thinking about him and hope that all is well. It’s a private matter.”
Nash did say that Durant, who had to quarantine after possible Covid-19 exposure, could return tomorrow when they host the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Meanwhile, Harris got the job done, finishing two points shy of his career high as the Nets posted their second straight double-digit win.
LeVert, who started in place of Irving, made the most of his opportunity. He scored 18 points by halftime as the Nets shot 45.4 per cent and scored 35 points off 20 Philadelphia turnovers.
“When we play connected and we have that fighting spirit, we give ourselves a great chance every night no matter who’s available,” Nash said.
Stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons had a quiet night for the 76ers. Embiid scored 20 points on seven-of-14 shooting while Simmons had just 11 points.
Shake Milton started in place of the injured Seth Curry and led the Sixers with 24 points and seven assists.
Curry, who made the trip with the team, was reported after the game to have tested positive for the coronavirus, forcing the Sixers to remain overnight in New York so they can conduct further testing to see if the virus has spread to any of the other players.
The 76ers are scheduled to play today, when they host the Denver Nuggets.
Earlier on Thursday, the NBA and the players’ union announced that of 498 players tested for Covid-19 since Dec 30, four had returned positive.
In Los Angeles, LaMarcus Aldridge had 28 points to lead the San Antonio Spurs past the Lakers 118-109.
DeMar DeRozan, who managed just six points in San Antonio’s win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday, had 19 points and eight assists.
Dejounte Murray contributed 18 points and eight boards and Rudy Gay had 15 points for the Spurs (4-4), who snapped the Lakers’ four-game winning streak.
Patty Mills finished with 10 points. LeBron James had 27 points, 12 assists and six rebounds, while Anthony Davis collected 23 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks for the hosts, who dropped to 6-3.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS
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