SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Royce O’Neale hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 28.5 seconds to go, and the Brooklyn Nets capitalized on the third straight game in which Golden State blew a double-digit lead to defeat Sunday 120- 116 to the champion Warriors.
Golden State led 106-93 thanks to Klay Thompson’s layup with 6:57 left, and then the Nets outscored the Warriors 27-10 the rest of the game.
Stephen Curry made two free throws to put the Warriors ahead with 1:12 to play, moments after a three-point play by Kyrie Irving put the Nets up. Irving followed with a miss under Thompson’s pressure and then missed again, but Golden State had two more chances that neither Curry nor Kevon Looney could capitalize on with less than a minute to go.
Irving finished with 38 points, nine assists and seven rebounds for the Nets, who won their second straight game without star Kevin Durant, who was unable to face his former team, with whom he won titles in 2017 and 2018, in which he was named Most Valuable Player of the Finals.
Nic Claxton contributed career-highs with 24 points and 15 boards as the Nets reeled off a four-game losing streak.
Irving made 12 of 22 shooting with five 3-pointers a game after scoring 48 points in a 117-106 win at Utah.
Curry finished with 26 points, seven assists and six rebounds.
