BROOKLYN, NY- Courtesy of future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant’s electric performance, the Brooklyn Nets (11-11, 9th in East) were able to defeat the Orlando Magic (5-16, 14th in East) 109-102, and have now won five of their last seven games to return to .500.
In 39 minutes, Durant recorded a season-high 45 points, seven rebounds, five assists, two steals, and two blocks on 19-24 shooting from the field and 3-5 (60.0%) from three-point range. It’s worth noting that Durant did so on Brooklyn’s second game of a back-to-back, where Durant had 37 minutes, 31 points, five rebounds, and five assists on 12-20 (60.0%) shooting in a 111-97 victory versus Portland.
“He just keeps going,” Nets Head Coach Jacque Vaughn said. “At this stage in the age of his career, I mean the minutes he played, what he did last night to lead us into a win is huge. I think it shows the preparation that he puts into his body, what he feels about the game. He approaches it like we have to win this game.”
In addition to Durant, Superstar Guard Kyrie Irving added 20 points, two rebounds, and three assists on 9-17 (52.9%) shooting from the field, while Center Nic Claxton notched 17 points and 13 rebounds, his eighth double-double of the season (16th in NBA). The only other Net to record double-digit points was Sharpshooter Joe Harris, who chipped in 17 points and four rebounds in 36 minutes. Harris actually served as Brooklyn’s fifth starter for the entirety of the second half, as Ben Simmons exited the game with left knee soreness.
In reference to this, Simmons actually missed four straight games from October 31st to November 5 due to swelling in his left knee. With 9:03 remaining in the second quarter, Simmons committed an offensive foul, and was immediately replaced by Harris to prevent possible worsening of his injury. To no surprise, Simmons is day-to-day with a knee injury, and will miss Wednesday’s game versus Washington.
In spite of suffering their fifth straight loss, Orlando received solid contributions from their players, which allowed the Magic to remain competitive against Durant and the Nets.
To begin, 2022 No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero posted a well-rounded statline of 24 points, four rebounds, five assists, and two steals on 9-17 shooting from the field in his third game back from his sprained ankle injury.
Similarly, rising star Bol Bol matched Banchero for the team lead with 24 points on 10-15 (66.7%) shooting from the field and 3-6 (50.0%) from three-point range, along with six rebounds and two blocks. Finally, second-year Forward Franz Wagner notched 21 points and two steals while shooting 8-16 (50.0%) from the field and 3-6 (50.0%) from the three-point line, his highest three-point percentage since Orlando’s 113-114 loss to Indiana.
Outside of Banchero, Bol, and Wagner, Veteran Guard Gary Harris had a season-high 19 points on 7-12 (58.3%) shooting from the field and 4-6 (66.7%) shooting from three-point range. For reference, Harris was sidelined for Orlando’s first 17 regular-season games after suffering a Torn Meniscus in off-season workouts. Due to an immense amount of injuries, Orlando was forced to run a nine-man rotation versus Brooklyn, which resulted in 2022 second-round pick Caleb Houstan (3/7/1), Kevon Harris (4/2/1), and RJ Hampton (2/2/4) all receive adequate playing time.
As of November 29th, Orlando is still without Jonathan Isaac (Hamstring), Cole Anthony (Oblique), Jalen Suggs (Ankle), Carter Jr (Foot), and Chuma Okeke (Knee), while Mo Bamba is day-to-day with Back Spasms. Brooklyn is dealing with similar issues, as Markieff Morris, Kessler Edwards, Day’Ron Sharpe, and Patty Mills did not play due to Vaughn’s decision.
As a team, Orlando was quite efficient, going 36-85 (54.3%) from the field, 9-28 (32.1%) from three-point range, and 12-14 (85.7%) from the free-throw line. Likewise, Brooklyn shot 38-80 (47.5%) from the field, 13-31 (41.9%) from three-point range, and 13-22 (59.1%) from the free-throw line. In spite of this, Orlando and Brooklyn struggled with turnovers and personal fouls. For reference, the Magic committed 18 turnovers and 19 personal fouls, while the Nets committed 18 turnovers and 18 personal fouls.
Following their aforementioned loss to the Nets in Brooklyn, the Magic will return to the Amway Center to welcome the Atlanta Hawks (11-10, 8th in East) on November 30th at 7:00 PM ET. Meanwhile, Brooklyn continues its seven-game homestand as the Washington Wizards (11-10, 7th in East) is set to play them on November 30th at 7:30 PM ET.