Now that the Brooklyn Nets have teamed Kevin Durant up with James Harden, their matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks Monday evening could very well be a prelude of things to come in the Eastern Conference.
A game that included 20 lead changes came down to Kevin Durant nailing a three pointer off a Harden miss within the final 40 seconds to send Brooklyn to a win.
Even without fans in attendance at Barclays Center in New York, the drama was obvious in a game between these two top-end Eastern Conference contenders.
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Harden and Durant combined for 64 points, 15 rebounds and 18 assists on 23-of-46 shooting from the field. Without Kyrie Irving for a seventh consecutive game, three other members of the Brooklyn Nets starting five chipped in with double-digits.
The 125-123 win for Brooklyn wasn’t without a tremendous effort from what had been a red-hot Milwaukee Bucks squad led by two-time reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.
He led Milwaukee with 34 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists. Meanwhile, fellow stars Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday chipped in a combined 47 points in the losing effort.
Talk about the star power being out in full display in the Big Apple.
NBA world reacts to Brooklyn Nets win over Milwaukee Bucks
Those watching the game from the confines of their homes were amped to see just how well played of a basketball game this was.
Arguably, three of the top-five players taking to the court in a thrilling early-season game that could very well be a preview of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Scary hours in Brooklyn, indeed.