Kyrie Irving scored 34 points and James Harden recorded his 10th triple-double of the season as the Brooklyn Nets won their NBA derby with the New York Knicks 117-112 on Monday night.
Harden ended with 21 points, 15 rebounds and 15 assists in his first match against his side's cross-town rivals since joining Brooklyn from Houston in January, a move that has helped transform the Nets into one of the strongest teams in the league.
Brooklyn had only a 7-6 win-loss ratio before Harden's arrival but are 20-7 since, and sit second in the Eastern Conference, even with another star, Kevin Durant, having missed their last 12 games.
Julius Randle finished with 33 points, 12 rebounds and six assists for the Knicks, who are seventh in the standings at 20-20.
34 points and a whole lotta highlight reel plays. 📼 @KyrieIrving 📼 pic.twitter.com/T0hJOy4P2z — Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) March 16, 2021
MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo recorded his third successive triple-double to lead the third-placed Milwaukee Bucks to a 133-122 win at the 13th-placed Washington Wizards.
Antetokounmpo scored 31 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and handed out 10 assists as the Bucks pulled away from their rivals late on, having let a 26-point third quarter lead slip to just five midway through the final period.
The Wizards were led by Bradley Beal's 37 points while Russell Westbrook scored 23 and grabbed a season-high 17 assists.
Khris came through in the win: 23 PTS | 5 REB | 3 AST | 1 STL pic.twitter.com/0MWAt6y05P — Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) March 16, 2021
Nikola Jokic led the Denver Nuggets to a 121-106 win over the Indiana Pacers with the 35th double-double of his career.
Jokic contributed 32 points and 14 rebounds while Michael Porter and Will Barton scored 20 points each as the Nuggets – fifth in the Western Conference – blew away the visitors with a 34-15 last quarter.
Malcolm Brogden scored 24 points for the 17-21 Indiana while Justin Holiday scored 19 and Domantas Sabonis ended the game with 10 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds.
20 PTS | 8 REB | 60 FG% All in a day's work. #MileHighBasketball pic.twitter.com/dcKS4ZdwXf — Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) March 16, 2021
In other games on Monday, the Los Angeles Lakers thrashed the Golden State Warriors 128-97, the Phoenix Suns defeated the visiting Memphis Grizzlies 122-99, the San Antonio Spurs won 109-99 at the Detroit Pistons, the Charlotte Hornets were 122-116 victors at home to the Sacramento Kings, and the LA Clippers won 109-99 at the Dallas Mavericks.
