AP

Nets top Heat 102-101, lose Durant to right knee injury

Jan 8, 2023, 3:36 AM | Updated: 6:38 pm

Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) drives up against Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving (11) during...

Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) drives up against Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving (11) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

(AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)


              Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant, left, passes past Miami Heat guard Kyle Lowry, center, and forward Haywood Highsmith, rear, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
            
              Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons (10) looks for an open teammate past Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
            
              Brooklyn Nets forward Royce O'Neale (00) looks for an opening past Miami Heat guards Tyler Herro, left, and Kyle Lowry, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
            
              Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant takes a shot against Miami Heat guard Kyle Lowry during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
            
              Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) drives up against Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving (11) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
            
              Miami Heat forward Haywood Highsmith, left, swats the ball away from Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant, center, as center Bam Adebayo (13) attempts to catch the ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

MIAMI (AP) — Brooklyn got another win. Now the Nets have to hope for good news on Kevin Durant.

Royce O’Neale’s putback with 3.2 seconds left put Brooklyn to stay, and the Nets beat the Miami Heat 102-101 on Sunday night in a game where Durant left in the third quarter with a right knee injury.

“Right knee, he’ll get evaluated tomorrow and then hopefully I’ll have some more info,” Nets coach Jacque Vaughn said. “Most likely it will include imaging, just to make sure we’re good.”

Durant was awaiting his teammates after the big finish, giving them all fist bumps as they walked into the locker room. Vaughn said he did not ask Durant how he was feeling, though Kyrie Irving said his friend was in good spirits.

Durant left with 36.6 seconds left in the third quarter, not long after he appeared to get hurt on a drive by Miami’s Jimmy Butler. Durant grabbed at his right knee after Butler, who had just driven to the basket, landed with his back to Durant and fell into him.

“Those plays are scary, because when someone’s not looking what’s going on, anything can happen in those moments,” Irving said. “So I’m grateful for all that time he’s put in the weight room putting his body in a great position, and his body was able to save him from something worse.”

Durant took two big hits in the second half. He also grabbed at the knee after being called for an offensive foul on a drive where he collided with Miami’s Kyle Lowry with 7:57 left in the third.

“You never want to see him go down like that,” Vaughn said. “Any player, for that matter. Pretty hard collision, but you’ve got to give our group credit for staying with it.”

Irving scored 29 to lead the Nets, who have won 18 of their last 20 — after winning only nine of their first 20 games. Durant had 17 before departing and Seth Curry scored 14 for Brooklyn.

Nic Claxton had 13 points and 11 rebounds for the Nets.

Butler scored 26 for Miami, which got 24 from Tyler Herro. Butler missed a contested shot at the rim on the game’s final play, and Herro was shaken up on it as well before limping off — replays showing he may have slipped.

“Jimmy made the absolute right play,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said, after the team argued for a foul to no avail.

Spoelstra said Herro indicated postgame that he was fine, but the team will know more Monday. Bam Adebayo was limited in the second half because of a right hand contusion — X-rays were negative — and scored 10 for Miami, as did Max Strus and Haywood Highsmith.

Brooklyn led 66-64 at the half, with Irving leading the Nets with 24 and the teams both shooting well — 54% for Miami, 57% for Brooklyn.

And then in the third, the defenses showed up.

Brooklyn shot 28% in the quarter, Miami 25%, and the Heat outscored the Nets 18-13 in the period to take a three-point lead into the fourth.

Miami led by as many as nine in the final quarter, went up 101-100 on back-to-back baskets by Butler late, but couldn’t corral the rebound on Irving’s missed 30-footer in the final seconds. O’Neale got the rebound and turned it into the eventual winner.

“I was just right there to finish it,” O’Neale said.

TIP-INS

Nets: Claxton blocked three shots and has at least three blocks in six consecutive games. Only the Lakers’ Anthony Davis has done that this season, and no Nets player has done that since Shawn Bradley had two separate 11-game streaks in 1996.

Heat: NBA Commissioner Adam Silver was in attendance, as was DJ Khaled. … Caleb Martin (left quadriceps strain) was out. … Lowry and Victor Oladipo each were 2 for 10. … Miami is 21-20 at the season’s midway point.

DURANT MILESTONE

Durant needed just two points to pass Dominique Wilkins (26,668) for 14th on the NBA’s career scoring list. With 17 on Sunday, Durant is up to 26,684.

He’s 26 points away from No. 13 Oscar Robertson (26,710).

PLAYOFFS

The Miami Dolphins snapped a five-game losing streak and will play Buffalo in the NFL wild-card round this weekend. If the Heat make the playoffs this season, it’ll mark the first time since 2009 that Miami’s NBA and NFL teams play postseason games in the same year.

“It’s been great for the city,” said Spoelstra, who spent a day with the Dolphins during their training camp. “I just enjoy seeing teams come together, particularly when there is adversity and figuring some things out.”

UP NEXT

Nets: Host Boston on Thursday.

Heat: Host Oklahoma City on Tuesday.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

Associated Press

Ex-Packer Guion gets 1 year for domestic violence assault

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Former Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Letroy Guion was sentenced to one year in jail after pleading no contest in a domestic violence assault at his home last fall. Brown County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Walsh also ordered Guion on Tuesday to serve three years’ probation and complete a domestic […]

1 year ago

Joe Jarzynka...

Associated Press

Durant eager for Suns debut vs. Hornets after knee injury

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kevin Durant has been through quite a bit during his 15-year NBA career — but joining a new team midway through the season is a new one for the 13-time All-Star. The 34-year-old Durant doesn’t seem all that worried. Durant makes his highly anticipated Phoenix Suns debut on Wednesday night against […]

1 year ago

FILE - Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores stands on the sideline during the second half of an N...

Associated Press

Judge: NFL coach can press discrimination claims in court

NEW YORK (AP) — NFL Coach Brian Flores can pursue some of his discrimination claims against the league and its teams in court rather than through arbitration, a judge ruled Wednesday. The written decision by Judge Valerie Caproni in Manhattan was issued months after lawyers for the league tried to get the lawsuit moved to […]

1 year ago

Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Alex Stalock cools off in the first period during an NHL hockey game ...

Associated Press

Kane trade reinforces hard reality of Blackhawks rebuild

CHICAGO (AP) — After days of speculation, the harsh reality of the Chicago Blackhawks’ situation was reinforced by one move in a flurry of transactions ahead of the NHL trade deadline. Showtime is over, at least in Chicago, and a seemingly bright future is, well, way off in the distance. The reverberations of Chicago’s decision […]

1 year ago

FILE -  Yves Jean-Bart, president of the Haitian Football Federation, wearing a protective face mas...

Associated Press

Disgraced ex-Haitian soccer president announces he’s back

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haiti’s former soccer federation president whose lifetime ban from sport over sexual abuse allegations was overturned last month announced Wednesday that he is reclaiming his position. Yves Jean-Bart’s defiant announcement could lead to a standoff with FIFA, which already has appointed an emergency management committee to lead the Haitian Football Association […]

1 year ago

FILE - Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers walks off the field after an NFL football game against the ...

Associated Press

Rodgers says decision on future will come ‘soon enough’

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers says he will make a decision on his future “soon enough” as the four-time MVP quarterback ponders whether to play next season and if his future remains with the Green Bay Packers. Rodgers, 39, discussed his future while speaking on an episode of the “Aubrey Marcus Podcast” that […]

1 year ago

Nets top Heat 102-101, lose Durant to right knee injury