Kevin Durant had 29 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists to lift the Brooklyn Nets past the host Philadelphia 76ers 114-109 on Friday.
It was Durant’s 13th career triple-double in the regular season.
LaMarcus Aldridge scored 23 points, James Harden added 20 and Joe Harris had 14 for the Nets. Patty Mills contributed 11.
The Nets were missing Kyrie Irving, who remains sidelined while he refuses to take a COVID-19 vaccine.
Tobias Harris and Seth Curry scored 23 points apiece and Joel Embiid added 19 for the Sixers in their home opener.
Tyrese Maxey scored 15, Furkan Korkmaz had 10 and Andre Drummond swept 10 rebounds.
The Sixers played without Shake Milton (ankle) and of course without Ben Simmons, who will be out indefinitely after telling the team he’s not mentally ready to play.
Tobias Harris made 8 of 12 shots for 19 points in the first half as the Sixers pulled out to a 62-55 lead. The Nets stayed close thanks to Durant’s 17.
Embiid knocked down a trey from the wing for a 78-69 Sixers lead with 5:47 left in the third quarter. The Sixers maintained a 91-85 advantage at the end of the third.
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Philadelphia scored the first five points of the fourth to go ahead by 11. The Nets closed within 99-92 when Aldridge hit a 15-foot jumper with 9:03 remaining.
When Joe Harris dropped in a shot in the lane, the Nets trailed 102-98 with 7:17 to go. The Sixers then reeled off a 6-0 spurt capped by Matisse Thybulle’s dunk to lead by 10.
Brooklyn crept within 108-106 with 2:02 left when Mills hit a driving layup. Aldridge then propelled the Nets to a 109-108 advantage, their first lead, with a three-point play with 48.2 seconds left.
Tobias Harris missed a floater in the lane and Aldridge then hit two free throws for a 13-0 run and a 111-108 lead.
Durant made a pair of free throws in the waning seconds to seal the win.
The Sixers scored just one point in the final 5:33.
–Field Level Media