Los Angeles, Dec 31 (AFP\/APP):Joel Embiid scored 34 points and Tyrese Maxey added 25 as the Philadelphia 76ers spoiled Kevin Durant’s return from the NBA’s Covid list with a 110-102 victory over the Nets in Brooklyn on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Durant, who hadn’t played since December 16 as the Nets grappled with a Covid spike that eventually saw three of their games postponed, picked up where he left off with 33 points.<\/p>\n
James Harden added a triple-double of 33 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists. But it wasn’t enough for the Eastern Conference-leading Nets against a Sixers team that played without coach Doc Rivers on the sideline because of coronavirus concerns.<\/p>\n
Teams across the league were coping with Covid as the Omicron variant fueled a surge around the United States.<\/p>\n
The NBA cancelled Thursday’s clash between the Western Conference-leading Golden State Warriors and Denver because the Nuggets, hit by Covid and injuries, couldn’t field the requisite eight players.<\/p>\n
That decision sparked a sharp response from Warriors star Draymond Green, who would have been absent himself because of Covid.<\/p>\n
Green took issue with the 11th postponement of the season, saying cancelling games piecemeal as the league presses ahead with its season was unfair.<\/p>\n
“How do you continue to cancel games when you’ve implemented rules to prevent this from happening?” Green said on Twitter. “Is that not a competitive advantage for other teams?<\/p>\n
“The guys we didn’t have due to the protocol list played no role in Tuesdays loss? Pick a side but don’t straddle the fence.”<\/p>\n
Green was among the Warriors absentees when Golden State came up short in an 89-86 loss to the Nuggets in San Francisco on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Now, he said, a rescheduled game will likely add a back-to-back to the Warriors schedule and let the Nuggets play the Western Conference co-leaders “at full strength … But they got to sneak a win when we weren’t at full strength, only two days ago???<\/p>\n
“Let’s make it make some sense here.”
\nNBA commissioner Adam Silver has insisted he sees no reason to pause the season. And in a bid to keep teams on track the league has made it easier for teams to call up players on short-term contracts from the developmental league and reduced the number of days that vaccinated, asymptomatic players must isolate after a positive test.<\/p>\n
But the sheer number of cases means some teams have still been caught out as Covid combines with mid-season injuries to sideline players.
\nThat’s why the Nets were thrilled to welcome back Durant, who missed three games.<\/p>\n
Even with Durant and Harden, however, the Nets couldn’t hold off the Sixers.<\/p>\n
In a game that featured four lead changes in the fourth quarter, Embiid converted a three-point play with 3:14 remaining to put the 76ers up 100-97.<\/p>\n
Philadelphia wouldn’t relinquish the lead, Tyrese Maxey and Seth Curry draining late three-pointers to push the 76ers over the line.<\/p>\n
With 15 seconds left Durant and Embiid exchanged words and were separated by teammates, each receiving a technical foul.<\/p>\n
“We just respect each other so much, that natural competitive fire comes out,” said Durant, who exchanged a thumbs-up sign with Embiid as players departed the court after the game. “It’s the name of the game… We love competition, and this is only going to make it better.”<\/p>\n
Maxey said the victory, after two defeats this season to the Nets, was a “big win.”<\/p>\n
“Coach Doc went down and we had a couple of players in the protocols, we wanted to come here and make a statement,” he said. “They already beat us twice so to come here and get a win on their court is big.”<\/p>\n
In Orlando, two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 33 points to lead the reigning champion Milwaukee Bucks to a 136-118 victory over the Magic.<\/p>\n
Jrue Holiday added 25 points and Khris Middleton scored 22 for Milwaukee, who won their fifth straight.<\/p>\n
The Washington Wizards, buoyed by the return of Bradley Beal from Covid protocols, beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 110-93.
\nBeal scored 19 points and handed out 10 assists in his first game in almost two weeks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Los Angeles, Dec 31 (AFP\/APP):Joel Embiid scored 34 points and Tyrese Maxey added 25 as the Philadelphia 76ers spoiled Kevin Durant’s return from the NBA’s Covid list with a 110-102 victory over the Nets in Brooklyn on Thursday. Durant, who hadn’t played since December 16 […]<\/p>\n
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