Kevin Durant scored 34 points (18 in the first quarter), and the Brooklyn Nets beat the Atlanta Hawks 120-116.
Durant’s 3-pointer answered Trae Young’s 20-foot step-back jumper and put the Nets back ahead for good with 3:17 left in the fourth quarter.
Durant’s 3-pointer with 1:09 left made it 116-111, and his 2 free throws with 6.3 seconds left put it away at 120-116.
During clutch time, the Nets outscored the Hawks 14-9. Durant scored 8 of the Nets’ 14 on 2 for 5 shooting and 2 for 2 at the line.
Kyrie Irving had 33 points and 11 rebounds, and T.J. Warren added 14 points (9 in the second quarter) on 6 for 8 shooting off the bench. The Nets had 2 30-point scorers.
For the Hawks, Young had 33 points, 9 assists and 3 steals, and Bogdan Bogdanović added 31 points on 12 for 18 shooting off the bench. The Hawks had 2 30-point scorers.
The Nets shot 54.2% from the field and 43.3% from 3 to the Hawks’ 49.5% and 34.5%. The Hawks turned it over 18 times, about 4 more than usual for this many possessions. They outscored the Nets 52-31 off the bench.