Kevin Durant scores 41, Nets rally past Pistons

Kevin Durant scored 41 factors and the Brooklyn Nets rallied previous the Detroit Pistons 130-123 on Tuesday night time.

Durant linked on 14 of 23 pictures, 4 of 6 from 3-point vary and all 9 of his foul pictures whereas including 11 rebounds, 5 assists and three blocks to assist the Nets overcome a double-digit deficit within the second quarter.

“I need to get higher pictures generally, however like a few them are like, ‘I’m scorching, let me danger it,’” Durant stated. “I used to be simply attempting to get one of the best pictures that I can. Generally it is perhaps over a man within the lane, however I really feel like that’s open and I’ve to maintain knocking them down.”

Kyrie Irving added 24 factors in his second dwelling look since New York exempted athletes from a personal employer mandate for COVID-19 vaccinations final week. Andre Drummond added 14 factors and 13 rebounds.

Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 34 factors. Isaiah Stewart and Saddiq Bey every had 15.

The Pistons went forward 55-43 following Frank Johnson’s quick jumper with 5:54 left within the second quarter. Durant adopted with a four-point play and the Nets pulled inside 64-58 at halftime.

Brooklyn opened the second half on a 22-8 run and took an 80-72 lead on Drummond’s put-back with 5:54 remaining within the third quarter.

“We are able to’t dangle our hat on the second half, now we have to play a whole recreation,” Drummond stated. “It’s by no means going to be straightforward to make that flip in opposition to nice groups. Not that the Pistons aren’t an incredible workforce. They performed an incredible recreation, however we simply turned it up within the second half.”

Cunningham’s 3-pointer with 38 seconds left within the quarter introduced the Pistons inside 96-94, and Jackson’s floater put Detroit forward 101-99 early within the fourth.

The sport was tied at 108 when Durant’s pull-up jumper adopted by two free throws and Seth Curry’s 3-pointer gave Brooklyn the lead for good.

Durant’s ultimate two factors, on free throws, gave the Nets their largest lead of the sport, 128-118, with 1:18 remaining. Detroit acquired no nearer than seven the remainder of the best way.

“We’re going to must make our staple as a workforce on the defensive finish, as a result of if we’re going backwards and forwards in a capturing contest, clearly we’ll nonetheless be within the recreation however can result in errors on our finish,” Irving stated.

Curry completed with 11 factors, whereas Bruce Brown added 15 and Nic Claxton additionally had 11 for the Nets.

Killian Hayes scored 13 factors, whereas Johnson and Marvin Bagley III added 11 for the Pistons.

“I do know their document isn’t good, however they nonetheless have professionals over there,” Durant added. “They nonetheless made pictures early and gained confidence as a workforce. This was a superb check for us.”

TIP-INS

Pistons: Bey is the one Piston to have performed in all 76 video games this season. Stewart is subsequent with 65 video games performed. They’ve each began in each recreation they’ve appeared. … Detroit has misplaced three straight and 9 of their final 11.

Nets: The Nets have gained six straight video games in opposition to the Pistons, tied for his or her longest profitable streak in opposition to Detroit in franchise historical past. They’ve additionally overwhelmed them six straight on the Barclays Heart and haven’t misplaced to them at dwelling since April 1, 2018.

BEY FROM FAR AWAY

Bey has made a minimum of one 3-pointer in 40 straight video games, the third-longest present streak within the NBA. The final recreation by which he didn’t join from downtown got here in opposition to the Nets on Dec. 12. Bey’s 197 treys this season are a franchise document, surpassing Alan Houston’s 191 in the course of the 1995-96 season.

UP NEXT

Pistons: Detroit hosts Philadelphia on Thursday.

Nets: Brooklyn hosts Milwaukee on Thursday.