James Harden posted another triple-double as the Brooklyn Nets finished strong down the stretch and extended their winning streak to seven games with a 127-118 victory over the skidding Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night in New York.
Harden finished with 29 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds for his sixth triple-double as a Net.
The Nets played in front of 300 fans, marking their first home game in front of spectators since March 8, 2020, and they cheered on as Brooklyn finished the game on a 17-9 run over the final seven minutes.
Harden was named as a reserve to the All-Star Game before tipoff. He made 9 of 22 shots and hit five 3-pointers as the Nets again played without Kevin Durant (strained hamstring).
Related: 50 Top NBA players of 2022 – Stephen Curry leads the charge after brilliant season
Bruce Brown added a career-high 29 points on 11 of 13 from the field. He scored 13 of his points in the fourth quarter and scored eight straight to push Brooklyn’s lead to 124-110 on a deep 3-pointer with 3:05 remaining.
Kyrie Irving added 21 points, including a left-handed finger roll that gave Brooklyn a 116-109 lead with 4:40 remaining after Sacramento got within one point on a 3-pointer by De’Aaron Fox. Joe Harris contributed 18 as the Nets shot 49.4 percent from the field and hit 17 3-pointers.
Fox scored 27 points to lead the Kings, who have lost twice to Brooklyn in their eight-game skid. Rookie Tyrese Haliburton added 23 as Sacramento shot 51.7 percent and hit 15 3-pointers.
Irving scored 14 points as the Nets produced their highest-scoring first quarter of the season and took a 42-28 lead after 12 minutes. After Brooklyn took two more 12-point leads in the second, the Nets held a 72-66 lead at halftime when Harris hit a 3-pointer with 25.3 seconds left.
Brooklyn then held a 91-81 lead on DeAndre Jordan’s dunk with 4:50 remaining but settled for a 98-96 lead entering the fourth. Harris hit a 3-pointer with 3.9 seconds left in the third quarter right after Haliburton’s 17-footer gave Sacramento its first lead.
Related: NBA games today – Full offseason schedule, including start of NBA free agency
–Field Level Media