LOS ANGELES: Kevin Durant scored 28 points and unheralded Quinn Cook delivered 27 as the defending champion Golden State Warriors rallied without injured star Stephen Curry to beat the Brooklyn Nets 116-100 during an NBA game.
Quinn’s total was a season-high as he dressed in place of Curry, who missed the game after suffering a groin injury on Thursday in a loss to Milwaukee.
The Warriors were also without Draymond Green, but nine time all-star Durant carried the club on his back as they snapped Brooklyn’s three-game winning streak.
Durant had 13 points in the first quarter, scored the final six of the second as the Warriors stretched their lead to 20 in the third.
Cook made 18 starts a year ago while Curry was injured. He nailed his first seven shots Saturday and matched Durant with 19 points in the first half.
Cook described Durant is a special talent. “I want to be like him some day — a Hall of Famer.”
Elsewhere, LeBron James scored 25 points and Tyson Chandler grabbed 12 rebounds as the Los Angeles Lakers clawed their way to a .500 record with a 101-86 victory over the Sacramento Kings.
The Lakers are now 6-6 on the season, the first time they have as many wins as losses.
Brandon Ingram finished with 12 points and eight rebounds for the Lakers, who have won four of their last five games.
James hit his first six of nine shots and finished 10-for-18 from the floor.
De’Aaron Fox led the Kings with 21 points but he didn’t get much help from the rest of the Sacramento starters.
In Milwaukee, Montrezl Harrell provided the spark, coming off the bench to score 26 points as the Los Angeles Clippers edged the Milwaukee Bucks 128-126 in overtime.
Coach Doc Rivers, who had a pep talk with Harrell at halftime about his lack of defensive play, knew he could trust Harrell in the second half.
“He turned it around,” Rivers said. “His energy was infectious.” Lou Williams hit a clutch driving layup with less than a second to go in overtime, but it was Harrell who set the table by diving for loose balls, barging his way through defenders and even wagging a finger after blocking a Bucks’ shot.
Harrell also finished with nine rebounds and 10 assists. Giannis Antetokounmpo tallied 27 points and 18 rebounds in the loss as the Bucks dropped to 9-3 on the season.