The visiting Brooklyn Nets outscored the struggling New Orleans Pelicans 120-112 on Friday night, thanks to James Harden’s 39 points and 12 assists. The Nets won for the seventh time in their past eight games, with Kevin Durant scoring 28 points and Joe Harris scoring 24. Harden hit back-to-back 3-pointers as the Nets went on an 11-3 run to establish a 77-62 lead in the third quarter. Durant’s 3-pointer extended the lead to 21, but the Pelicans closed the period on an 11-2 surge to pull within 95-83. New Orleans got within three points twice more before Harden scored Brooklyn’s final five points of the quarter to give the Nets a 66-59 lead at halftime.
Jonas Valanciunas led the Pelicans with 20 points and 12 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the Pelicans from losing for the ninth time in a row. All five New Orleans starters scored in double figures: Garrett Temple (17 points), Nickeil Alexander-Walker (16 points), Devonte’ Graham (14 points), and Josh Hart (13 points). Herbert Jones, a rookie, scored 11 points off the bench. The Pelicans who are without their star Zion Williamson due to injury came within 1 point but Durant and Harden came right back hitting threes of their own to push the lead to 117-110. Pelicans with this loss are now dead last in the whole NBA with a 1-12 record.
While the Nets who are still in the Kyrie-Vaccine situation have been on a roll thanks to KD’s 30 points performances, while Harden who was having an unacceptable season by his standards, is starting to show signs of his old self and will only continue to get better.
📼 | Big night for The Beard pic.twitter.com/TgmdcSVZEx
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) November 13, 2021
