Denver’s Nikola Jokic tries to strip the ball from Brooklyn’s Joe Harris, 12, with Nuggets guard PJ Dozier at right during the first quarter Tuesday night in New York. Kathy Willens/Associated Press
NEW YORK — Kevin Durant had 34 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds, Bruce Brown made a huge contribution while starting for the absent Kyrie Irving, and the Brooklyn Nets rallied from 18 down to beat the Denver Nuggets 122-116 on Tuesday night.
Brown scored 16 points, including the tying and go-ahead baskets down the stretch. Durant followed with Brooklyn’s next six points, including a 3-pointer that essentially put it away at 120-113 with 27 seconds to play.
Nikola Jokic had 23 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds for the Nuggets, who were trying to sweep a three-game trip. But they were outscored 68-46 in the second half and squandered their chance to climb above .500 for the first time this season.
Caris LeVert added 20 points for the Nets, who had dropped two in a row during Irving’s four-game absence for personal reasons and seemed well on their way to a third when they trailed 79-61 early in the third quarter. But they got hot from 3-point range and Durant from just about everywhere.
They blew past the Nuggets with a 29-4 run that gave them a 90-83 lead, and when Jokic checked out after the next possession he kicked over a chair in the last row of Denver’s bench in frustration.
• The Nets and the NBA are looking into Irving’s actions after a video showed the point guard at an indoor family gathering while not wearing a mask.
General Manager Sean Marks said the team is reviewing the circumstances with both Irving and the league to determine his compliance with health and safety protocols.
Marks added in a statement that a date for Irving’s return to the team has yet to be finalized.
Asked if he was confident Irving would be back with the Nets this season, Coach Steve Nash responded: “Sure.” But he offered no clarity about when that might happen.
“Like I said, right now I’ve got to focus on coaching this team and getting the best out of them,” Nash said. “So I can’t make any predictions, prognostications about things that are outside this building.”
The video on social media appears to be a family celebration, though it’s unclear how many people are in attendance.
76ERS 137, HEAT 134: Joel Embiid had 45 points and 16 rebounds, Dakota Mathias’ only basket of the game was a go-ahead 3-pointer with 26.1 seconds left and host Philadelphia hung on to beat Miami in overtime.
Embiid had one of the great games of his career and carried the Sixers with a perfect third quarter and clutch buckets in OT to put them on the brink of victory.
It was little-known Mathias with the stunner that won it. Mathias, who went undrafted in 2018 and signed this season with the Sixers as a two-day G League player, got the ball from the top of the arc and buried it for the 134-132 lead.
With Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragic among the Heat sitting out for COVID-related reasons, they pushed the Sixers into OT with a mad-dash end to the fourth.
Tyler Herro helped the Heat overcome Embiid’s dominant effort when his 3-pointer tied the game at 115 with 2:25 left. Precious Achiuwa scored two straight baskets – the first off Philly’s shot clock violation, then off a turnover – for a 119-115 lead.
Embiid buried the pull-up jumper just inside the 3-point arc with 3.3 seconds left that tied it at 120 and sent the game into overtime. It was his only bucket of the fourth after he made all eight shots in the third.
Embiid’s go-ahead three-point play with 2:37 left in OT put the Sixers up 126-124, and Herro matched his regulation theatrics with another tying 3 for 129-all.
Danny Green matched the 76ers’ record with nine 3-pointers and scored 29 points and Mike Scott had 16 points.
Herro finished with 34 points, Duncan Robinson had 26 and Gabe Vincent 24.
JAZZ 117, CAVALIERS 87: Donovan Mitchell scored 27 points and Utah rolled over injury-depleted Cleveland, wrapping up a six-game trip.
The Jazz are headed home with a victory, albeit a little earlier than expected. Utah was scheduled to play Wednesday at Washington, but the NBA postponed the game because the Wizards do not have the minimum eight available players.
Utah went 4-2 on its 10-day journey.
LAKERS 117, ROCKETS 100: LeBron James scored 26 points in just more than three quarters and Los Angeles never trailed in winning at Houston.
Anthony Davis added 19 points and 10 rebounds in three quarters to help the Lakers to their second straight blowout over the Rockets after a 120-102 victory Sunday night.
Los Angeles led by 20 or more for most of the game on a night James Harden made just 5 of 16 shots and the Rockets were outrebounded 55-42.
SPURS 112, THUNDER 102: Lonnie Walker IV scored 24 points and San Antonio beat Oklahoma City to finish a five-game trip with four wins.
Keldon Johnson added 18 points for the Spurs, who won their 2,200th game since joining the NBA in 1976. The Spurs committed a season-low four turnovers.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City with 20 points and Hamidou Diallo scored 16.
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