San Francisco, Jan. 23 (BNA): Royce O’Neal gracefully walked down the podium with an ice pack around each knee and replicated the Brooklyn Nets’ high level of confidence even with superstar Kevin Durant on the sidelines battling a knee injury.
The Associated Press reports that bringing Stephen Curry and the defending NBA champ to their home turf wouldn’t hurt.
With Kyrie Irving cutting through the defense, O’Neale hit a go-ahead three-pointer with 28.5 seconds left, and the Nets took advantage of Golden State’s third straight game, squandering a double-digit lead, defeating the Warriors 120-116 Sunday night. .
“Kerry was reaching for the basket, hitting hard shots and at that moment, he drove in, and two guys came together and found me open,” O’Neal said. “I just need to have the confidence to bring it down.”
Golden State led 106-93 on a Klay Thompson jumper with 6:57 to play, then the Nets outscored the Warriors 27-10 going into the rest of the half.
Two Curry free throws with 1:12 remaining gave Golden State the lead after Irving took a three-point lead for Brooklyn, then Irving fumbled on the other end in the face of defensive pressure from Thompson. Irving missed another attempt but Golden State had two more chances and both Curry and Kevon Looney missed with less than a minute left in the game.
On the winning play, Irving was driving, choked and hit the ball.
“They’ve done a great job of keeping my body, keeping my physique in check, and making it challenging,” Irving said. “I felt like my team mates had a lot of great looks, drawing the defense, drawing two, three to lose their man. Reuss was wide open, I felt that was the best shot for our team, so I gave up the ball, he has to make it and luckily he got in.”
Irving finished with 38 points, nine assists and seven rebounds for the Nets’ second straight win by playing Don Durant, who missed facing his former team after winning NBA Finals MVP honors and honors in 2017 and 18 with Golden State.
Nick Claxton contributed to his career-highs of 24 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks as the Nets won two in a row after a four-game losing streak following an injury to Durant.
“There’s a lot of confidence everywhere, everyone takes the challenge, pushes forward, and looks for ways to win games,” O’Neal said.
Irving hit 12-for-22 with five three-pointers that led to a stunning 48-point performance in a 117-106 win at Utah Road on Friday night for Brooklyn’s first win since Durant sprained his right knee.
Curry scored 26 points, seven assists and six rebounds.
Little brother Seth Curry’s throw with 2:29 left pulled Brooklyn to within 112-109 and then Joe Harris tied it at 3 the next over.
Jordan Paul added 17 points for the Warriors, who used their 39 points in the second quarter to take over but couldn’t hold it.
“You give a team like that some life, it’s really good,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.
Irving tied the game 3 at 6:55 of game three and the Warriors led 90-86 going into the final 12 minutes.
O’Neal scored 11 of his 16 points on three three-pointers in the first quarter.
Donte DiVincenzo made all four of his 3-point attempts in the first half and the Warriors led 70-53 late in the second half before the 7-0 Nets pulled Brooklyn to within 72-60 at the break. DiVincenzo finished with 13 points and eight assists, and Jonathan Cuminga added 20 points in 25 minutes.
Paul remained in the starting lineup in place of Looney after scoring 30 or more points in two of the previous three games.
Looney had 14 points, 10 boards and Draymond Green had nine points, 11 rebounds and seven assists as the Brooklyn Warriors trailed 143-113 at home on Dec. 21 but without Curry and Thompson.
Thompson added 10 points as the Warriors scored six in double figures.
Tip-ins
Nets: F TJ Warren was available and played after 11 minutes due to a bruised right knee. … Seth Curry scored 12 points. … tied the Brooklyn Warriors with 42 rebounds. …the Networks improved to 5-6 on the road versus the Western Conference.
Warriors: The Warriors are down to 8-2 at home against teams with record numbers coming into the game. … Golden State has hit 15 or more 3s in 12 consecutive games. … The Warriors scored 50 points off the bench in another great performance by the Backups.
next one
Nets: In Philadelphia on Wednesday after losing on the Sixers’ home game, 115-106 on November 22.
Warriors: Host Memphis on Wednesday is riding a two-game home winning streak in the series.