Staff Reporter.
@NBAE.
The Brooklyn Nets beat the Philadelphia 76ers and ex-player James Harden 129-100 in their first meeting since the three-time NBA scoring champion’s move.
Harden, who joined the 76ers in exchange for Seth Curry and Ben Simmons in February, was frustrated by his former team and managed only 11 points.
Kevin Durant scored 25 points and Kyrie Irving added 24 in the Nets’ victory.
“I think all of us look at Ben as our brother,” Durant said. “We knew this was a hostile environment. It’s hard to chant at Simmons when you’re losing by that much.
Simmons, wearing a designer hockey jersey and flashy jewelry, watched from the bench, likely taking delight in the vitriol deflected away from him. The three-time All-Star is continuing to recover from a back injury that has sidelined him since being swapped for Harden in a blockbuster deal at the trade deadline.
Meanwhile, Stephen Curry reached 20,000 career points as the Golden State Warriors beat the Denver Nuggets.
Curry became the 49th player to reach the milestone by scoring a game-high 34 points in the Warriors’ 113-102 victory.
“Any accomplishment you do, whether it’s individual or a team, is special,” said Curry.
“You work every day to keep getting better. Hopefully a lot more to come. It’s pretty special for sure.”
Despite being unable to inspire the 76ers to victory against his former side, Harden moved ahead of Reggie Miller into third on the all-time three-pointers list with 2,563. Stephen Curry leads with 3,107.
For Brooklyn, Seth Curry scored 22 points, while three-time All-Star Simmons – who had asked to be traded from the 76ers – is yet to play for the Nets since the exchange because of injury.
Simmons, who had not played for the 76ers this season because of mental health issues, was greeted with boos from the Philadelphia fans.