NBA Daily Roundup: Brooklyn Nets Rally Behind KD
The Brooklyn Nets rallied behind their leader to come up with a morale-boosting win.
Brooklyn Nets Tally Thrilling Win
Behind the leadership of superstar Kevin Durant, the Brooklyn Nets came away with a thrilling 109-107 victory over Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers. Along with Durant’s 35 points, five other Brooklyn players tallied double digits in the scoring column. Yuta Watanabe drilled five treys on his way to 20 markers off the bench, and Royce O’Neale produced a rare triple-double night (11 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists) and the game-winning putback off a Durant miss.
Most importantly, Ben Simmons finally turned in a very efficient performance. Just a day after reports surfaced regarding the Brooklyn Nets’ “frustration” about his availability and level of play, Simmons responded in a big way, as he put up an all-around outing of 15 points, 13 boards, and 7 assists. The lefty point forward also shot six-of-six from the field, and also did particularly well on the defensive end of the floor.
Lillard led the charge for the Blazers with his double-double performance of 25 points and 11 assists. Anfernee Simons and rookie Shaedon Sharpe also chipped in 24 and 20 markers, respectively. The Blazers drop to a 10-5 slate in the Western Conference standings.
Kings Win Fifth Straight Game
The Sacramento Kings are one of the hottest teams in the NBA right now. After another convincing 130-112 victory over the San Antonio Spurs, the Kings are now riding a five-game winning streak. De’Aaron Fox topscored for the Kings with 28 markers, while Malik Monk came off the bench to produce 26 points. Sacramento will have a chance to push their streak to six games when they face the Detroit Pistons on Sunday.
Clippers Triumphant in Kawhi’s Return
Reggie Jackson put up 23 points as the Los Angeles Clippers escaped the Detroit Pistons, 96-91. Paul George had a rough shooting night (16 points on 5-of-18 shooting) but he also grabbed nine rebounds and dished out three assists. But the headline for this game was the return of Kawhi Leonard to the Clippers’ active lineup. Kawhi only logged 25 minutes on his return, finishing with six points, five rebounds, and four assists.