NEW YORK – Brooklyn Nets enters in the 2021-2022 NBA Season playoffs with a 115-108 triumph over Cleveland Cavaliers in the play-in game for Eastern Conference’s No.7 seed on Tuesday (Wednesday in the Philippines) at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Kyrie Irving spearheaded the offense for the Nets with double-double 34 points and 12 assists, while Kevin Durant chipped in 25 points, 11 assists, five rebounds, three blocks and two steals.
Bruce Brown flirted with triple-double with 18 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, while Andre Drummond and Nicholas Claxton had 16 and 13 markers for the Nets, which will face No. 2 Boston Celtics in the first round of NBA playoffs.
Ahead for most part of the game, the Nets were threatened by a furious fourth quarter start by the Cavaliers to trim the deficit to 82-88 on consecutive points by Darius Garland.
A three-pointer by Durant followed by consecutive inside conversions from Brown and Claxton widened Brooklyn’s advantage to 105-95 with over two minutes left.
Garland finished with 34 points, while Evan Mobley added 19 for the Cavs, which still has a shot at the eighth and last playoffs seat in the East if it beats the winner of Atlanta Hawks-Charlotte Hornets play-in game.
Minnesota Timberwolves made a return trip to the NBA Playoffs after a 109-104 triumph over Los Angeles Clippers in the play-in game for the No.7 Western Conference seed at the Target Center in Minneapolis.
Down 93-83 early in the fourth, the Timberwolves went on a huge run behind Malik Beasley, Nazi Reid, D’Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards to snatch the lead at 99-95.
The Clippers trimmed it to 98-99 on a three-pointer by Paul George but back-to-back triples by Edwards and Russell followed by free throws by Edwards and Beasley sealed the win for the Timberwolves.
Edwards finished with 30 points, including five triples, while Russell added 29 markers for the Timberwolves, which clinched the No.7 seed and will face No. 2 Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of NBA Western playoffs.
George led the way with 34 markers for the Clippers, which will battle the winner of New Orleans Pelicans-San Antonio Spurs play-in game for the eighth Western Conference playoffs seat.
BOX SCORE:
BROOKLYN 115 — Irving 34, Durant 25, Brown 18, Drummond 16, Claxton 13, Mills 6, Dragic 3, Curry 0, Edwards 0.
CLEVELAND 108 — Garland 34, Mobley 19, Love 14, Markkanen 13, LeVert 12, Rondo 7, Stevens 7, Osman 2, Okoro 0.
Quarterscores: 40-20, 57-43, 85-73, 115-108./PN
