Kyrie Irving scores 42 points, Nets beat Rockets to move to 8th

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Kyrie Irving scored 42 points and the Brooklyn Nets beat the Houston Rockets 118-105 on Tuesday night to improve their position in the race for play-in seeding.

Irving had 17 points in the fourth quarter. Kevin Durant added 18 points, Bruce Brown had 15 and Cam Thomas 13 for the Nets. Andre Drummond finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

With Cleveland, Atlanta and Charlotte all losing, the Nets climbed into a tie for eighth place in the Eastern Conference, just 1 1/2 games behind the Cavaliers. The No. 7 seed hosts a game to open the tournament.

Kevin Porter Jr scored a season-high 36 points and Jalen Green added 30 for the Rockets.

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Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving (11) drives around Houston Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. (3) during an NBA basketball game, Tuesday April 5, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

The Nets led by as many as 21 points late in the third quarter, but a 15-0 Houston run brought the Rockets within 90-84. Irving scored the game’s next eight points and Brooklyn held a double-digit lead the rest of the way.

The Nets led by nine early, but a 12-2 Houston run capped by Alperen Sengun’s breakaway dunk gave the Rockets their only lead of the game, 18-17.

Brooklyn scored the next eight points and led 30-25 after the first quarter.

After the Rockets tied the game at 32, the Nets went on a 10-0 run. They increased their lead to 51-37 on Kessler Edwards’ short jumper with 5:14 left in the half and went into halftime up 64-47 following Irving's 3-pointer with 44 seconds remaining.

Porter’s 3-pointer cut it to 77-65 midway through the third quarter but the Nets scored