Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving drives past Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura during the first half of an NBA game Monday in New York.
AP photo
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Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) looks on from the bench during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Brooklyn Nets, Monday, Jan. 30, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Corey Sipkin)
Brooklyn Nets center Day’Ron Sharpe (20) blocks a shot by Los Angeles Lakers forward Juan Toscano-Anderson (95) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Jan. 30, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Corey Sipkin)
NEW YORK — Kyrie Irving had 26 points, seven rebounds and six assists to lead the Brooklyn Nets to a 121-104 victory Monday night over the Los Angeles Lakers, who played without LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Irving had scored 30 or more in a career-best six straight games but didn’t have to carry as heavy a load with some good play from Brooklyn’s backup guards.
“It’s nothing but joy in my eyes when I see them get rewarded for the hard work they’ve put in,” Irving said. “It makes my job a lot easier.”
Patty Mills and Cam Thomas added 21 points apiece for the Nets, who won their second straight and are 4-6 since Kevin Durant sprained a ligament in his right knee. They won just five times in 21 games last season when he sprained the other knee.
“I think from a big-picture standpoint we’ve just worked out how to navigate the ship, I guess,” Mills said, “and it definitely does feel a lot different than last year in that sense.”
Lakers coach Darvin Ham said James was experiencing “really significant soreness” in his left foot and would be evaluated Tuesday to see if he could play at the New York Knicks that night.
James, who is 117 points shy of passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the NBA’s career scoring record, sat at the end of the Lakers bench.
It was a planned day off for Davis so he didn’t play both ends of a back-to-back after returning last week from a 20-game absence due to a right foot injury,
Thomas Bryant had 18 points and nine rebounds for the Lakers, while Russell Westbrook finished with 17 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds. The 2017 NBA MVP moved past Gary Payton into 10th place on the career assists list, something he never would have imagined when he was younger.
“In the NBA, I never dreamt of being in this position, nor getting to the point to where I’m next to some of the greats,” Westbrook said, “and I’m just truly grateful and thankful for an opportunity to keep playing at the highest level and I don’t take any of it for granted.”
The Lakers trailed by 12 at halftime but opened the third quarter with a 14-0 run for a 60-58 lead. Irving finally got the Nets going, but the Lakers built a seven-point lead later in the period after some strong work from Wenyen Gabriel, who scored nine straight Los Angeles points. Brooklyn recovered to close the period with a 10-0 spurt to grab an 85-82 lead.
Mills and Thomas made consecutive 3-pointers after the Lakers cut it to two in the fourth, and Brooklyn went on to lead by 14 before putting this one away.
The Lakers missed 11 of their first 14 shots and the Nets soon led 19-6. Brooklyn extended it to 19 points a few times in the second quarter but didn’t close the half well, allowing the Lakers to pull within 58-46.
The Lakers were hoping to move on after an infuriating loss in Boston, when referees acknowledged they missed James being fouled on his drive to the basket at the end of regulation.
But it was clear early on they hadn’t fully left their frustrations behind. Patrick Beverley, who got a technical foul in overtime Saturday, got another one in the first quarter Monday when he was called for a foul on Irving’s 3-point attempt. Referee Ben Taylor then walked away from Beverley to the other side of the court to avoid having to call another one and issue an ejection.
WARRIORS 128, THUNDER 120
OKLAHOMA CITY — Stephen Curry had 38 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds, and Golden State defeated Oklahoma City for its third straight win.
Curry made 8 of 14 3-pointers and 12 of 20 shots overall. Klay Thompson added 28 points and hit six 3s for the Warriors.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 21 of his 31 points in the second half for the Thunder. Josh Giddey had 21 points and Jalen Williams added 19 for Oklahoma City, which missed out on a chance to even its season record.
MAGIC 119, 76ERS 109
PHILADELPHIA — Paolo Banchero had 29 points and 10 rebounds as Orlando stormed back from a 21-point first-quarter deficit to beat Philadelphia.
Mo Wagner scored 22 points and younger brother Franz Wagner added 19 for the Magic, who stopped a three-game skid and ended the Sixers’ seven-game winning streak.
Joel Embiid had 30 points and 11 rebounds for Philadelphia, his 27th game this season scoring 30 or more and his ninth in the past 10.
KINGS 118, TIMBERWOLVES 111, OT
MINNEAPOLIS — De’Aaron Fox had 32 points and Trey Lyles scored eight of his 11 in overtime as Sacramento outlasted Minnesota.
Domantas Sabonis had 17 points and 13 rebounds before fouling out for the Kings, and Keegan Murray added 13 points and 13 rebounds.
Lyles took over for Sabonis at center and started the extra period with a 3-pointer. He dunked on Rudy Gobert for a three-point play and got wide open for another slam with 37.8 seconds left in overtime for a five-point lead to give the Kings a split of this two-game set after a 117-110 loss Saturday night.
Anthony Edwards had 33 points and eight rebounds for the Timberwolves, hitting the 30-point mark for the fifth time in the last six games. Gobert added 19 points and 14 rebounds.
WIZARDS 127, SPURS 106
SAN ANTONIO — Deni Avdija scored a career-high 25 points, Bradley Beal added 21 and Washington ended a 22-game losing streak in San Antonio.
Kristaps Porzingis had 17 points and nine rebounds after a fast start for the Wizards, who hadn’t beaten the Spurs on the road since Dec. 11, 1999. Washington has won six straight for its longest winning streak since a six-game run in 2015.
Keldon Johnson had 26 points for the Spurs, who have lost six in a row to fall to 2-13 this month.