Kevin Durant, LaMarcus Aldridge lead Nets to comeback victory over Cavaliers

CLEVELAND — Kevin Durant returned to the lineup and scored 27 points, James Harden added 14 points and a season-high 14 assists, and the Brooklyn Nets beat the Cavaliers 117-112 on Monday night.

LaMarcus Aldridge had 21 points and 11 rebounds off the bench for the Nets, who won for the sixth time in seven games.

Durant was back after missing one game with a sprained right shoulder. With the Nets behind 105-102, the All-Star forward made a tough baseline jumper and layup to put them back in front.

Ricky Rubio made a 3-pointer to pull the Cavs within one, but Aldridge scored on a putback when the Cavs failed to box out. Durant then grabbed a rebound off a Cavs miss before firing a pass to an unguarded James Johnson for a layup to make it 113-108.

Durant dropped four free throws in the last 13.8 seconds left to ice it.

Darius Garland scored 24 and Jared Allen had 20 points and 15 rebounds. Lauri Markkanen added 22 points in his first game since Nov. 1 for the still short-handed Cavs, who had chances down the stretch but missed some shots and made crucial mistakes.

The Cavs have lost four in a row.

Durant (24,367) moved within one point of tying Allen Iverson (24,368) for 25th on the career scoring list.

Cam Thomas made a 3-pointer and had a three-point play to fuel a 13-2 run by the Nets in the final 2:32 of the third as the Nets, who trailed for much of the game, took an 84-82 lead into the last 12 minutes.

The Cavs were extremely short-handed, missing four starters, when they visited the Nets and lost 109-99 last week. They didn't have Allen or Markkanen, who returned after missing nine games following a positive COVID-19 test and being placed in league health protocols.

Nets coach Steve Nash has been impressed with the Cavs, calling them a “very willing, unselfish group.” He expected a tough game and got one.

The Cavs were the more aggressive, more focused team in the first half. The Cavs outrebounded the Nets 30-14 while building an 11-point halftime lead.

Tip-ins

Nets: Forward Joe Harris (left ankle sprain), forward Bruce Brown (left hamstring tightness), Nic Claxton (illness) and guard Kyrie Irving (not with team) were inactive. Harris missed his fourth consecutive game. … The Nets lead the NBA with a .380 3-point percentage. Two-time league leader Harris is shooting .466. … Harden and Irving share the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse scoring record of 55 points in a game.

Cavaliers: The Cavs attempted 16 free throws in the second quarter after not trying one in the first. ... Fast-starting rookie forward Evan Mobley (right elbow) missed his third game in a row. He won't be back until December. The No. 3 overall pick was averaging 14.6 points and 8.0 rebounds before getting hurt. ... Forward Cedi Osman (lower back spasms) sat out his second game in a row, and forward Lamar Stevens (right ankle sprain) last played on Nov. 12.