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Kevin Durant leads Brooklyn Nets to crushing win over Minnesota Timberwolves

Brooklyn dominated from the outset against the hapless Timberwolves.

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Kevin Durant scored 31 points to lead the Brooklyn Nets to an imposing 30-point win at the Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA on Tuesday.

In a match postponed from Monday night after the fatal police shooting of unarmed black man Daunte Wright in a suburb near the Timberwolves’ stadium, the Nets won 127-97.

The two teams held a minute’s silence and warmed up in shirts that read “with liberty and justice for all” in honour of Wright.

Durant played 27 minutes in his third game back from a long-term hamstring injury, and shot 11 from 15, while Joe Harris had 23 points.

The Nets were missing James Harden, Kyrie Irving and LaMarcus Aldridge but were 23 points in front midway through the second quarter, and 45 up early in the fourth.

Anthony Edwards had 27 points and eight rebounds for Minnesota, who have the worst record in the NBA at 14-41.

Paul George had a day out against his old team, scoring 36 points to lead the surging Los Angeles Clippers to a 126-115 win over the Indiana Pacers.

George also had seven rebounds and eight assists, while Marcus Morris scored 22 points as the Western Conference’s third-placed team made it six wins on the bounce, and 12 from 14 games.

Indiana were led by Malcolm Brogdon’s 29 points, while Caris LeVert had 26.

The Los Angeles Lakers beat the depleted Charlotte Hornets 101-93, with Kyle Kuzma scoring 24 points.

Dennis Schroder had 19 points and Andre Drummond claimed 12 rebounds for the Lakers, who stayed fifth in the West.

Devonte Graham had 19 points for the Hornets, who were missing five of their top six scorers, while Caleb Martin had 17 points and 10 rebounds.

The Phoenix Suns’ bench scored 65 points to guide them to a 106-86 home win over the Miami Heat, while the Atlanta Hawks made it seven victories from eight matches when they beat the Toronto Raptors 107-103 in Tampa.

The Western Conference-leading Utah Jazz beat the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder 106-96, despite a career-high 42 points from Luguentz Dort and the Boston Celtics won their fourth straight game in a 116-115 success at the Portland Trail Blazers.

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