NBA: Los Angeles Lakers have no chance! Next smack for LeBron

The Lakers took the next smack. LeBron James and Co. have no chance at West-Primus Phoenix – despite another milestone for the Lakers star. Kevin Durant slays the Knicks with 53 points and a franchise record as the Sixers struggle to an overtime win in Orlando.

Brooklyn Nets (35-33) – New York Knicks (28-40) 110:107 (BOXSCORE)

• For the first time this season, Kyrie Irving was also present at a Nets home game. Due to the local Corona regulation, he is now allowed to watch courtside – but is still not allowed to play himself. After all, the trip to the Barclays Center was worth it for Kyrie: he got a spectacular show from Kevin Durant, who broke the Knicks with 53 points (season high) and thus scored the most points since his career high in 2014 (54).
• KD was in a really good offensive mood, impressed with outstanding shotmaking and with trash talk against Evan Fournier, who in his opinion just too small for the defense against the Nets star. Durant sunk 19/37 from the field (4/13 threes and 11/12 ft), gave out 9 additional assists on 5 turnovers, and grabbed 6 rebounds. Never has a Nets player scored more points in a game against the Knicks than Durant, who has 53 points. “He’s the best player in the world,” marveled team-mate Andre Drummond afterwards.
• However, the home side also needed every single one of Durant’s points against city rivals. The 33-year-old gave Brooklyn a small lead for the first time in the third quarter, but as New York continued to double him in the latter part, the Nets offense struggled enormously. With a 9-0 run, the Knicks took the lead again a few minutes before the end.
• But a minute before the final buzzer, Durant had a millisecond of free space to weld a threesome to the Nets lead through the trap. Shortly thereafter, Bruce Brown (15, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals) got his fingers in the Knicks’ pass lane and forced a turnover. Then Durant brought home the third win in a row with several free throws.
• Aside from KD and Brown, Drummond also performed well with a double-double (18 and 10 rebounds, 8/8 FG). On the other side, the trio of Julius Randle (26), Fournier (25) and RJ Barrett (24) defended themselves against the threat of bankruptcy. But in the end, Durant was just too much.