|
Simons entered the game averaging 29 points in his previous four
contests, a stretch that began with a career-high 43-point
showing against the Atlanta Hawks on Jan. 3. he shot 10 of 24
from the field on Monday and grabbed six rebounds.
Robert Covington added 21 points for the Blazers, who won for
the third time in five games and withstood the absence of Damian
Lillard (abdominal injury). Ben McLemore added 20 and hit two of
his five 3-pointers in the final 96 seconds.
Jusuf Nurkic contributed 14 points and eight rebounds and Nassir
Little chipped in 13 points for Portland, which shot 46.5
percent from the floor. The Trail Blazers also made 15 of 38
3-point attempts (39.5 percent) despite missing 12 of 15
long-distance tries in the first half.
Kevin Durant collected 28 points and 10 rebounds for the Nets,
who lost for the fifth time in seven games. Kyrie Irving added
22 but shot 9 of 21 in his second game of the season. The
unvaccinated guard is only eligible to play road games due to
New York's vaccine mandate.
Brooklyn rookie Cam Thomas contributed a career-high 21 after
hitting the game-winning shot Sunday in overtime against the San
Antonio Spurs. Rookie Day'Ron Sharpe chipped in a career-best 14
for the Nets, who shot 46.2 percent overall and sank only 12 of
32 3-point tries (37.5 percent).
The Trail Blazers got the Nets in foul trouble early in the
first quarter, when Portland hit 15 of 17 free throws and took a
33-26 lead. Durant scored 13 points in the second quarter, and
the Nets held a 62-55 lead at halftime after Thomas hit a
12-footer with 3.8 seconds left.
The Nets were up 74-68 after Irving's 14-footer with 5:55
remaining in the third. The Blazers outscored the visitors 19-7
the rest of the period and took an 87-81 lead when Cody Zeller
dunked with 2.5 seconds left.
Portland took a 102-95 lead on Nurkic's put-back with 3:49
remaining and held a 110-101 edge when Simons found McLemore for
a 30-foot 3-pointer with 1:36 left.
After Durant dunked and Sharpe converted a tip-in to make it
110-105 with 54.8 seconds remaining, McLemore hit a 27-foot
3-pointer with 31.9 seconds left for a 113-105 lead, essentially
clinching it.
--Field Level Media
[© 2022 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content. |
|
