NEW YORK (Sporting Alert) — The Brooklyn Nets jumped all over the Oklahoma City Thunder early and never let up on their way to a 116-85 victory at Barclays Center on Monday night.
Brook Lopez scored 18 points, six rebounds and two blocks and Alan Anderson scored 18 points off the bench to lead the way for Brooklyn (2-1).
“I can’t put it in words,” Lopez was quoted as saying by the Associated Press. “It was great to be back out there.
“I’ve missed it for a long time and our team definitely took care of business tonight. Our guys make it easy.”
“It was just good to see him have that bounce, explosion,” Kevin Garnett, who scored six points and six rebounds for the Nets said about Lopez’s return.
“We know he’s having foot problems. He’s playing through a lot, man. And like I’ve said, if we’re going to be anything, we’re going to need the big fellow.”
Deron Williams finished with 17 points and nine assists, Joe Johnson added 13 points, six rebounds and six assists and Bojan Bogdanovic scored 12 points in the victory for the Nets, which shot 52 percent from the field.
Reggie Jackson, making his season debut after recovering from an injury, led the way for the Oklahoma City Thunder with a game-high 23 points.
Perry Jones and Sebastian Telfair each had 16 points for the Thunder (1-3), who was dropping its third game on the road this season.
Serge Ibaka collected 15 points and nine boards in the defeat for Oklahoma City, which continues to be without the injured Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.
OKC guard Andre Roberson left the game after playing just 11 minutes of the first half with a sprained left foot.
The short-handed Thunder will be back in action again on Wednesday night at Toronto on Tuesday, while the Brooklyn Nets play host to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night.
At the STAPLES Center, the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Utah Jazz 107-101 to bounce back from the defeat to the Sacramento Kings.
Blake Griffin scored 31 points and nine rebounds and Jamal Crawford, back in the rotation after resting the last game, added 19 points and five assists off the bench for the Clippers (3-1).
Chris Paul collected a triple-double of 13 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds and Reggie Bullock hit 4-of-6 from three point range to score 12 points in the win.
Gordon Hayward poured in 27 points, and pulled down seven rebounds and five assists to lead the way for the Jazz (1-3). Enes Kanter added 17 points and nine boards and Alec Burks finished with 16 in the defeat for Utah.
Also on the night, James Harden scored 35 points, nine rebounds and five and Trevor Ariza added 24 points, seven assists and six rebounds and the Houston Rockets (4-0) picked up their fourth successive victory with a 104-93 result over the winless Philadelphia 76ers (0-4).
NBA SCORES AND RESULTS
Houston Rockets 104 (4-0), Philadelphia 76ers 93 (0-4)
Brooklyn Nets 116 (2-1), Oklahoma City Thunder 85 (1-3)
Memphis Grizzlies 93 (4-0), New Orleans Pelicans 81 (1-2)
Dallas Mavericks 118 (3-1), Boston Celtics 113 (1-2)
Sacramento Kings 110 (3-1), Denver Nuggets 105 (1-2)
Los Angeles Clippers 107 (2-1), Utah Jazz 101 (1-2)
