Brooklyn Nets 'get the job done' against Orlando despite Durant's absence
The Brooklyn Nets "got the job done" in their Friday night game against Orlando Magic, despite the absence of the NBA's current No. 2 scorer Kevin Durant, who is sidelined with a shoulder injury.
But the win was a tight one, with the Nets sealing a 115-113 victory.
Durant had been playing with a sore right shoulder since the start of the season. After the Nets beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 120-96 on Sunday, Durant told reporters he has been getting treatment on the shoulder, but downplayed talk of it bothering him.
But before the game, head coach Steve Nash spoke to reporters about Durant, confirming that, while Durant would be sidelined Friday, he had no concerns about him missing subsequent games.
Any injury to Durant causes concern in Brooklyn beyond his importance on the court as one of the league's top players. He missed the 2019-20 campaign as he recovered from an Achilles injury suffered during the 2019 NBA Finals as a member of the Golden State Warriors.
The 33-year-old also played just 35 games in 2020-21, but he averaged 26.9 points, 7.1 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 53.7 percent from the field and 45.0 percent from three-point range.
Harden, man of the match
Friday's win against Orlando was dominated by James Harden, who had 36 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, and the Nets managed to overcome a 19-point deficit to close out the victory. .
Harden was 19 for 20 from the free throw line. Patty Mills added 22 points and LaMarcus Aldridge had 11 of his 15 in the fourth quarter.
Jalen Suggs scored 21, while Franz Wagner and Chuma Okeke each had 17 for the Magic
The Nets trailed by 19 points in the second quarter, but ended the half on a 10-0 run.
Harden scored the final five points from the free throw line as Brooklyn reduced its halftime deficit to 62-53.
Brooklyn continued to cut into the lead and Mills' back-to-back 3-pointers gave the Nets a 73-70 lead with 7:15 to go in the third quarter. It was their first lead since the opening bucket of the game.
Orlando trailed 90-83 heading into the final quarter, but scored the first six points and tied the game at 92 on Okeke's 3-pointer.
Neither team led by more than three until Harden's two free throws with nine seconds remaining gave Brooklyn a 114-100 lead. After Suggs hit a layup, Harden went back to the line and made one throw along with his only miss of the game.
Cole Anthony, who finished with 16 points, was fouled with 3 seconds left. After making the first, he missed the second intentionally. However, his attempt did not hit the rim and the Nets were given possession and ran out the clock
James Johnson finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Nets.
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