(AP) — Kevin Durant scored 32 points in three quarters of a top-to-bottom blowout that sent the Brooklyn Nets halfway to the Eastern Conference finals with a 125-86 rout of the Milwaukee Bucks.
Playing without the injured James Harden but showing no hint that they needed him, the Nets led by as much as 49 points and held the NBA’s highest-scoring team 34 points below its season average. Kyrie Irving added 22 points and Bruce Brown filled in nicely for Harden with 13 points and six rebounds. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Bucks but was thoroughly outplayed by Durant in a matchup of NBA MVP winners.
And in Monday’s other playoff action:
— The Phoenix Suns cruised in the second half to a 122-105 win over Denver Nuggets. Chris Paul had 21 points and 11 assists despite recent injuries that have slowed him. The Suns had four players with 20 or more points. The Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic had 22 points.
(AP) — American teenager Coco Gauff served superbly to reach her first Grand Slam quarterfinal with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Ons Jabeur at the French Open.
The 17-year-old Gauff lost only nine points on her serve. Gauff also had a quick match in the previous round. Jennifer Brady retired with an injured left foot after Gauff won the opening set.
Gauff will next face Barbora Krejcikova (kreh-jih-KOH’-vah). She also reached her first quarterfinal at a major by beating 2018 French Open runner-up Sloane Stephens 6-2, 6-0.
In other Monday action:
— Defending champion Rafael Nadal beat Jannik Sinner 7-5, 6-3, 6-0 to reach the quarterfinals and extend his streak of sets won at Roland Garros to 35.
— Novak Djokovic rallied from a two-set deficit to win for the fifth time in his career. He beat 19-year-old Lorenzo Musetti of Italy, who retired with an injury two games from defeat in the fourth round at the French Open. The Serb WIll next play another Italian, No. 9-seeded Matteo Berrettini, who advanced when Roger Federer withdrew.
— American Sofia Kenin has lost in the fourth round at the French Open to Maria Sakkari of Greece, 6-1, 6-3. At No. 4, Kenin was the highest-seeded player left.
