Kevin Durant returned from a 23-game absence to spark Brooklyn as the Nets thrashed the New Orleans Pelicans 139-111 on Wednesday.
The Nets produced their most explosive half of the season with Durant finishing with 17 points on 5-for-5 shooting.
Durant came off the bench with about 7 1/2 minutes left in the second quarter and by the time the period ended, the Nets had 79 points and a 20-point half-time lead. Brooklyn were a sizzling 14 for 18 (78 per cent) in their 43-point quarter.
“I expected to come out here and play the way I played,” Durant said. “I wasn’t trying to ease into the game.”
Durant added seven rebounds and five assists in 19 minutes in his return from a strained left hamstring. He was originally listed in the starting line-up, but was removed in a revised line-up distributed minutes before his first game since February 13.
Coach Steve Nash said bringing Durant off the bench was so the Nets could more easily control his minutes if the game was close down the stretch.
It wasn’t.
“We got dominated at both ends of the floor. Totally dominated,” Pelicans coach Stan Van Gundy said. “We couldn’t get out to the 3-point line. Our defence was absurd. They totally dominated us.”
Durant got an ovation from the first home crowd he’d played in front of with the Nets. Barclays Centre only began allowing limited crowds on February 23.
Kyrie Irving scored 24 points and LaMarcus Aldridge had 22 in the Nets’ ninth straight home win.
Eric Bledsoe scored 26 points for the Pelicans before being ejected in the third quarter.
The Nets did it all without James Harden, who will miss at least 10 days with his own hamstring injury.
Brooklyn scored 36 more in the third, bringing a 115-82 lead to the fourth while Durant went back to the bench.
In Denver, Nikola Jokic finished with 25 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds to help the surging Nuggets to a 106-96 victory over the San Antonio Spurs.
Michael Porter Jr. added 18 points and 10 rebounds and Will Barton hit for 14 points for Denver.
Dejounte Murray and Derrick White led the Spurs with 18 points each, with DeMar DeRozan scoring 14 and Australian Patty Mills adding 12 off the bench. San Antonio have lost four consecutive games and nine of their past 11.
Jaylen Brown had 32 points and 10 rebounds as the Boston Celtics rallied in the fourth quarter to beat the New York Knicks 101-99.
Jayson Tatum committed eight turnovers but finished with 25 points and 10 rebounds. Marcus Smart added 17 points, 14 in the fourth quarter, and nine assists for the Celtics who have won three of four.
The Houston Rockets snapped a five-game skid with a 102-93 win over the Dallas Mavericks, with John Wall contributing 31 points.