NBA: Irving drills game-winner for Nets, Celtics and Warriors beaten
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Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets shoots a game-winning shot to defeat the Toronto Raptors at the Scotiabank Arena.
PHOTO: AFP
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LOS ANGELES – Brooklyn star Kyrie Irving was not afraid to take responsibility, even if the vital moments were not meant for him.
On Friday, the point guard drilled a buzzer-beating three-pointer to lift the Nets to a fifth straight National Basketball Association (NBA) victory, as reigning champions Golden State and league-leading Boston both lost.
His step-back trey gave his team a 119-116 victory over the Raptors in Toronto.
Irving led the Nets with 32 points. Kevin Durant added 28 as Brooklyn (18-12) notched their ninth win in 10 games.
“Once you get that ball in your hands at the end of the game, it’s what you dream about,” Irving said.
Fred VanVleet scored a game-high 39 points for the Raptors, his three-pointer tying the score at 105-105 with 3min 6sec to play.
Brooklyn responded with dunks from Ben Simmons and Durant as the teams traded the lead, the Nets going up 116-114 with 14.1 seconds left on a three-pointer by Yuta Watanabe who was fed by Irving.
Toronto’s Scottie Barnes made two free throws to tie it up again, but Irving came through at the buzzer.
Nets coach Jacque Vaughn said that he had initially planned for Durant to take the final shot, but Durant wanted Irving to shoot instead.
“He was already cooking so I didn’t want to get in his way,” Durant said on ESPN of Irving.
“I felt like he could get whatever he wanted there. I also felt like they weren’t going to run and double him, either.
“They let him play one-on-one and it was a special, special shot.”
The Nets stayed a game ahead of the fifth-placed Philadelphia 76ers, who beat the short-handed Warriors 118-106 in Philadelphia.
Joel Embiid scored 34 points and grabbed 13 rebounds and James Harden added 27 points and nine assists for the Sixers.
The Warriors (14-16) were without superstar Stephen Curry, who will be sidelined indefinitely after injuring his left shoulder in a loss at Indiana on Wednesday.
In Boston, the Orlando Magic sprung a surprise with a 117-109 victory over the Celtics, whose league-best record fell to 22-8.
Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 31 points and seven rebounds. Jaylen Brown added 26 points, but Boston could not hold off a Magic team who won their fifth straight to improve to 10-20.
Moritz Wagner scored 25 points and Paolo Banchero added 20 for Orlando.
Elsewhere, the Los Angeles Lakers pulled away late for a 126-108 home victory over the Denver Nuggets, despite losing Anthony Davis to a right foot injury at half-time.
LeBron James led the Lakers (12-16) with 30 points and Thomas Bryant added 21 off the bench as he filled in for Davis in the second half. AFP
