Ben Simmons returned to an NBA bench as his Brooklyn Nets broke a nearly month-long losing streak.
Plus a bolter in the MVP race did something nobody has seen since Wilt Chamberlain.
Catch up on today’s news and scores in the NBA Wrap!
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Tue, 15 Feb
Tuesday February 15th
SIMMONS ON BENCH AS NETS’ 11-GAME SLIDE ENDS
In New York, Seth Curry scored 23 points in his debut for Brooklyn as the Nets snapped an 11-game losing streak with a 109-85 victory over the Sacramento Kings.
Curry helped Brooklyn get its first win since beating San Antonio on January 21.
He made 10 of 18 shots, including three three-pointers and added seven rebounds and five assists.
His former Sixers teammate Ben Simmons was spotted on the bench during the Nets’ drought-breaking win.
He was also involved in a shootaround at the Barclays Center ahead of the game.
Simmons held out from Philadelphia until October 11, then reportedly was thrown out of practice a week later for declining to sub into a drill. Citing mental health issues and requesting a trade, Simmons left the team again.
“I think we’ll be able to play really fast, getting out in transition,” his new Nets teammate Nic Claxton, who saw Simmons for the first time before the win over the Kings, said.
“We’ll definitely be able to switch a lot on defence, having a lot of length down low, having some good groups. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
MVP FANCY’S FEAT NOT SEEN SINCE WILT
DeMar DeRozan caught fire late, using a calculated game plan to score a team-high 40 points as the Chicago Bulls seized control in the final quarter to beat the San Antonio Spurs 120-109 on Monday.
The Bulls trailed by six points entering the fourth quarter but then DeRozan busted loose, scoring 11 of his team’s next 13 points to give Chicago the lead.
DeRozan says he tried to remain calm throughout, especially in the third quarter when the Spurs outscored the Bulls 32-24.
“Come the fourth quarter my main priority is to win at any cost,” said DeRozan. “You have to understand the whole game. It is tough to go out there from the jump ball and just be aggressive and try to score.
“You got to dissect the game. I collect data throughout the game and come the fourth quarter I got it all figured out and the ball is going in the hoop.”
DeRozan has scored 30 or more points in seven straight games and established a club record with his sixth straight game of at least 35 points, surpassing Michael Jordan in the 1996-97 season.
He tied Wilt Chamberlain for the longest streak of games scoring at least 35 points while shooting 50 per cent from the field (six).
Nikola Vucevic added 25 points and 16 rebounds and Coby White scoring 24 points and Ayo Dosunmu hitting for 12 in the win.
Chicago shot 52.3 per cent from the floor and outrebounded the Spurs 58-41.
NBA SCORES FOR FEBRUARY 15
Warriors 104 –119 Clippers
Pistons 94 – 103 Wizards
Kings 85 – 109 Nets
Thunder 127 – 123 Knicks (OT)
Spurs 109 – 120 Bulls
Trail Blazers 122 – 107 Bucks
Raptors 90 – 120 Pelicans
Magic 111 – 121 Nuggets
Rockets 101 – 135 Jazz
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