'Good start' for Durant with 33 points in Nets' win
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The Nets' Kevin Durant trying to drive past the Suns' Chris Paul in their NBA game at Barclays Centre in New York on Sunday. The forward returned after three games out with a thigh injury and the Nets won 128-119 to strengthen their hold on top spot in the East.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
LOS ANGELES • Kevin Durant scored 33 points in his return from a three-game injury absence, as the Brooklyn Nets solidified their hold on first place in the Eastern Conference with a 128-119 National Basketball Association victory over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday.
He came off the bench early in the second quarter and showed he was over the thigh injury he had suffered a week earlier.
In 28 minutes of playing time, the All-Star made 12 of 21 shots from the floor in a clash between one of the title favourites and the second-best team in the West.
"It was a good start. Hopefully, I'll build on this game and keep going," Durant, 32, said.
Kyrie Irving scored a team-high 34 points, going 30-plus for the 15th time this season, while Blake Griffin finished with 16 for Brooklyn, who improved to 41-20 to lead the second-placed Philadelphia 76ers by 11/2 games.
Devin Booker scored 36 points for Phoenix, while Deandre Ayton scored 20 points with 13 rebounds, as the Suns lost two straight for the first time since late January.
"I thought we started off pretty well, they just continued to make shots," Booker said. "I think we had a lot of miscommunications on a lot of our switches and that's that."
Phoenix dropped to 42-18 and are now 2-2 on a five-game East Coast road trip with another contest yesterday against the red-hot New York Knicks (34-27), who have won nine straight.
Brooklyn, who were without the injured James Harden for the 10th straight game, outscored the Suns 31-27 in the final quarter after trailing by as many as 13 in the second period, in front of a pandemic-limited crowd of 1,700 at Barclays Centre. However, they have won six of 10 games with him not playing, such is the strength of the team's depth.
"The thing I love the most is that we all know, one of my favourite things about him is how much he just loves to play basketball," Griffin said of Durant.
"So you know when he's sitting out it's just like killing him, so just to see that joy of just being able to play basketball again is fun for us."
In Atlanta, Bogdan Bogdanovic equalled his season-high of 32 points as the Atlanta Hawks came from behind to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 111-104 and end their six-game losing skid.
Meanwhile, Devonte' Graham poured in 24 points as the Charlotte Hornets beat the Boston Celtics 125-104.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
