Spencer Dinwiddie scored 25 points in his first game since returning to Brooklyn as the Nets beat Chicago hours after trading superstar Kevin Durant to Phoenix.
Joe Harris had 18 points, and Yuta Watanabe chipped in 14 points in 22 minutes off the bench. Dorian Finney-Smith, who came with Dinwiddie from Dallas in the trade for Kyrie Irving, had nine points and nine rebounds in his Nets debut.
It was Dinwiddie’s first game in a Nets uniform since December 27, 2020. He spent five seasons with the team and returned with 18 points in the second half.
‘The entire last four or five days have been weird for me,’ Dinwiddie said.
‘If I was going to revisit a spot, out of the three I’ve been at, it would definitely be here, unequivocally.’
Nets recruit Dorian Finney-Smith celebrated with Spencer Dinwiddie (C) and Cam Thomas
Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn praised his team’s calmness and ability to execute in the victory.
‘We just found a way,’ Vaughn said postgame. ‘No panic from our guys. I thought we did a really good job of focusing on the game plan. It’s great to see us really lock in, especially at the end of the game.’
Zach LaVine scored 38 points and DeMar DeRozan had 14 for Chicago, which lost its second straight and fell to 10-18 on the road.
MILWAUKEE BUCKS 115, LOS ANGELES LAKERS 106
Giannis Antetokounmpo soiled LeBron James and the LA Lakers’ ceremony with a dominant performance on the road.
Antetokounmpo had 38 points and 10 rebounds, and the Milwaukee Bucks rallied in the second half for their ninth consecutive victory, 115-106 over the Lakers without James on Thursday night.
James sat out to rest his sore left ankle and foot two nights after he passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA´s career scoring leader.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 38 points and 10 rebounds as Bucks reeled off its ninth straight
The Bucks still fell behind by 11 in a tepid first half and never pulled away from an opponent with only nine players in uniform, but Antetokounmpo racked up 23 points in the second half.
Khris Middleton scored 22 points and Jrue Holiday added 18 for the Bucks, who matched their longest winning streak since their 9-0 start to this season. Milwaukee is primed for the stretch run to the postseason after adding veteran Jae Crowder to its talented core at the trade deadline.
Dennis Schröder had 25 points and 12 assists in a standout performance at point guard for the Lakers, who had only four reserves after their flurry of trades in the past two days.
LeBron James took to the court pregame during a ceremony for his historic achievement
ATLANTA HAWKS 116, PHOENIX SUNS 107
Trae Young scored 25 of his 36 points in the second half and Atlanta beat short-handed Phoenix, which was awaiting the arrival of newly acquired Kevin Durant.
Josh Okogie had 25 points and Deandre Ayton added 23 points for Phoenix, which had its three-game winning streak end.
The Suns had only nine players available after trading Cam Johnson and Mikal Bridges as part of a package for Durant, the 13-time All-Star, before Thursday´s trade deadline.
Durant did not join his new team for the game, but the anticipation for his arrival is growing.
Trae Young produced a signature 36-point performance in the victory over the Phoenix Suns
ORLANDO MAGIC 115 DENVER NUGGETS, 104
Bench players Cole Anthony and Bol Bol each scored 17 points to lead the Orlando Magic to a 115-104 win over the Western Conference-leading Denver Nuggets on Thursday night.
Wendell Carter Jr. led seven Magic scorers in double figures with 19 points, and Orlando’s bench outscored the Nuggets´ reserves 56-10. Orlando is in 13th place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 23-33.
Aaron Gordon had a season-high 37 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Nuggets. Nikola Jokic had 29 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, and combined with Gordon to score all 29 of Denver´s points in the third quarter.
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Orlando excitement machine Bol Bol was pivotal with 17 points in the impressive win over DEN
