National Basketball Association
Brooklyn 125, Golden State 99
When: 7:00 PM ET, Tuesday, December 22, 2020
Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York
Officials: #3 Nick Buchert, #52 Scott Twardoski, #15 Zach Zarba
Attendance: N/A

Kyrie Irving scored 26 points and Kevin Durant added 22 in three quarters as the Brooklyn Nets took control early and cruised to a 125-99 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night in the NBA's season opener at New York.

The duo were spectacular in their first regular-season game since joining the Nets as free agents in July 2019. Brooklyn led by any as 38 points in Steve Nash's coaching debut.

Limited to 20 games last season due to shoulder injuries, Irving made 10 of 16 shots and hit four 3-pointers in his first game since Feb. 1. Irving added four assists and four rebounds while playing 25:18.

In his first game since rupturing his right Achilles tendon in Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals with Golden State against Toronto, Durant made 7 of 16 shots, hit all seven of his free throws and contributed five rebounds to go along with three assists in 24:56.

Caris LeVert added 20 points as the Nets shot 45.7 percent and ended a seven-game losing streak in season openers.

Warriors star Stephen Curry, back after being limited to five games last season due to a broken left hand, posted a double-double with 20 points and 10 assists. He shot 7 of 21 and missed eight of 10 3-point tries.

Rookie James Wiseman added 19 points for the Warriors, who shot 37.4 percent and played without Draymond Green (strained right foot). Andrew Wiggins contributed 13 points but shot 4 of 16 while new acquisition Kelly Oubre Jr. was held to six points on 3-of-14 shooting from the floor.

Durant scored 10 quick points and gave Brooklyn an 18-8 lead by converting a baseline dunk with 7:20 remaining in the first quarter. Brooklyn held a 40-25 lead through the first 12 minutes after shooting 58.3 percent and getting 17 points from Irving.

The Nets held a 63-45 lead by halftime after Irving hit a 3-pointer with 4.7 seconds remaining. Brooklyn opened a 77-49 lead with 8 1/2 minutes left in the third when Spencer Dinwiddie connected with Durant for a two-on-one dunk, and the hosts carried a 99-71 lead into the fourth.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Golden State   Brooklyn
Stephen Curry 20 Scoring Kyrie Irving 26
Stephen Curry 10 Assists Caris LeVert 5
Marquese Chriss 8 Rebounds DeAndre Jordan 11
Stephen Curry 4 Free Throws Made Kevin Durant 7
Stephen Curry 2 Steals Kevin Durant 3
Kelly Oubre Jr. 2 Blocks Jarrett Allen 2
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Golden State 99 37.4 10-33 15-23 26 47 6 6 18
Brooklyn 125 45.7 15-35 26-32 24 57 7 11 20
Upcoming Games
  • Brooklyn will play their next game on the road against Boston. The Nets have a W/L % of 1.000 after a win and .000 after a loss.
  • Golden State will play their next game on the road against Milwaukee. The Warriors have a W/L % of .000 after a win and .000 after a loss.