UNDATED (AP) — Kyrie Irving made his season debut on Wednesday and had a huge impact in the Brooklyn Nets’ 129-121 win at Indiana.
Irving scored 22 points and sparked Brooklyn to a big rally in the second half. He played 32 minutes and helped the Nets storm back from a 19-point deficit.
Irving was back after missing the Nets’ first 35 games of the season for declining to be vaccinated for the coronavirus. He is prohibited from playing home games and Brooklyn didn’t want to use him as a part-timer until a COVID-19 outbreak affected most of their regulars.
Kevin Durant poured in 39 points and James Harden had 19 as the Nets ended a three-game skid. Durant also had eight rebounds and seven assists.
The Pacers lost despite Domantas Sabonis, who had a triple-double of 32 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. Lance Stephenson scored 20 of his 30 points in the first quarter.
Checking out Wednesday’s other NBA action:
— Luka Doncic scored 26 points and the Mavericks celebrated before a ceremony to retire Dirk Nowitzki’s number by beating cold-shooting Stephen Curry and the Warriors, 99-82. Curry was just 5 of 24 from the field including 1 of 9 from 3-point range in scoring 14 points.
— Bojan Bogdanovic scored a season-high 36 points and the Jazz stretched their road winning streak to 10 games by beating the Nuggets, 115-109. Rudy Gay had 18 points and Donovan Mitchell added 17 to help Utah overcome another triple-double by Nikola Jokic, who finished with 26 points, 21 rebounds and 11 assists.
— Pascal Siakam scored 33 points and OG Anunoby and Gary Trent Jr. had 22 apiece to the lead the Raptors to a 117-111 victory over the Bucks. Milwaukee was without head coach Mike Budenholzer due to health and safety protocols and was minus Giannis Antetokounmpo because of a non-related COVID illness.
— The 76ers notched their NBA-best 14th road victory of the season and tied a season high with a fifth straight win overall, 116-106 versus the Magic. Joel Embiid dropped in 31 points, Tobias Harris contributed 22 and Seth Curry added 20 with a season-high 12 assists and seven rebounds.
— Gregg Popovich became the first to coach 2,000 NBA games with the same team as he watched Dejounte Murray provide 22 points in a 99-97 victory at Boston. Devin Vassell and Derrick White each had 17 points in San Antonio’s first win in five games.
— Max Strus had 25 points and the Heat snapped a two-game losing streak with a 115-109 victory at Portland. Tyler Herro finished with 16 points off the bench for Miami, which was tied at 90 before going on a 15-2 run.
— Kelly Oubre Jr. hit a career-high nine of the Hornets’ franchise-record 24 3-pointers in a 140-111 dismantling of the Pistons. Gordon Hayward and Miles Bridges each had 19 points to help Charlotte beat Detroit for the 14th straight time.
— Kevin Huerter scored five of his 25 points in the final 38 seconds to push the Hawks to a 108-102 triumph over the Kings. Huerter added 11 rebounds for his first double-double of the season, helping Atlanta to its third win in nine games.
— The Timberwolves were finally at full strength as they knocked off the Thunder, 99-90. Karl-Anthony Towns had 17 points and 16 rebounds, while D’Angelo Russell struggled on 3-of-12 shooting in their return to Minnesota’s lineup.
— The Rockets pulled out a 114-111 win over the Wizards on Kevin Porter Jr’s, 3-pointer from the right wing with 0.4 seconds remaining. Christian Wood added 22 points and 11 rebounds to help Houston snap an eight-game losing streak.
Lillard sidelined…Zion rehabbing away from team
UNDATED (AP) — Portland guard Damian Lillard will miss the next three games because of a lower abdominal tendinopathy. The Trail Blazers say Lillard will undergo further evaluation and consultation concerning the injury, which has bothered him since the Tokyo Olympics.
And the Pelicans have agreed to allow forward Zion Williamson to continue his rehabilitation from a broken foot away from team headquarters. Williamson averaged a team-high 27 points and was an All-Star last season. He was trying to return to practice in mid-December when imaging of his foot revealed a setback.
