PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) 鈥� Royce O鈥橬eale scored on a tip-in with 0.7 seconds left to complete a triple-double and give the Brooklyn Nets a 109-107 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night.
Kevin Durant led the Nets with 35 points, and O鈥橬eale had 11 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. Yuta Watanabe added 20 points off the bench and Ben Simmons scored a season-high 15 points before fouling out with 24 seconds left.
鈥淗e was incredible tonight,鈥� Durant said about Simmons. 鈥淚 thought he did a good job of commanding the offense, commanding the team on the defensive side of the ball. He was able to control the game and get us back into it.鈥�
Said Simmons: 鈥淧eople make it seem like I had a sprained ankle or something. I came back from back surgery, that鈥檚 not easy. I鈥檓 getting there.鈥�
Damian Lillard had 25 points and 11 assists for Portland. The Blazers shot only 38.7% from the field, including 29% in the second half.
鈥淲e really never got a flow in the fourth quarter,鈥� Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said. 鈥淭he end of the third quarter really hurt us. We had an 11-point lead with 2:40 to go, they go on a 14-0 run that turned the tide on us. From there we were in scramble mode.鈥�
A 3-pointer by Watanabe gave the Nets an 85-82 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Watanabe scored 11 of his points in the third.
The Nets won a challenge down 95-93 with 7:31 left. Durant鈥檚 basket after the challenge tied it at 95. After a pair of empty Portland possessions, Durant gave the Nets a 97-95 lead.
With 3:28 left, the Blazers began intentionally fouling Simmons. The career 59% free-throw shooter went 3 of 4 during the crucial series to preserve a 103-99 lead for Brooklyn.
鈥淲e had no doubts when he went up there,鈥� Durant said of the team鈥檚 confidence in Simmons.
鈥淚 love those moments. I鈥檓 not going to shy away,鈥� Simmons said. 鈥淭hat was their plan, but obviously it didn鈥檛 work. But I鈥檓 just building. I love those moments.鈥�
Durant split a pair of free-throws to make it 106-103. Jusuf Nurkic was fouled by Durant on a layup with 6.5 seconds left and Nurkic converted the 3-point play to tie it at 107.
鈥淩egardless of what people say, we鈥檙e here to win,鈥� Simmons said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e here to win a championship. It鈥檚 going to take everybody to do that. Everybody鈥檚 got to stay focused, locked in and stay the course, not get caught up in all the other things going on.鈥�
KYRIE NEAR RETURN
Star guard Kyrie Irving could return to the lineup for Brooklyn as soon as Sunday night when the Nets host the Memphis Grizzlies, according to coach Jacque Vaughn. Irving has not played since Nov. 1 while serving a team-imposed suspension for refusing to say he had no antisemitic beliefs.
Vaughn admitted there are no guarantees when incorporating Irving back into the team, which has gone 4-3 in his absence.
鈥淭here鈥檚 some uncertainty there for sure. And my approach is, the train is going to keep moving. That train is: playing hard, playing together, being a team and that鈥檚 going to continue. And that鈥檚 going to be up to me to get our group to incorporate everybody.鈥�
UP NEXT
Nets: Host Memphis on Sunday night.
Trail Blazers: Host Utah on Saturday night.
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Erik Garc铆a Gundersen, The Associated Press
