Kevin Durant, Joe Harris lead Nets to statement win over Hawks

It’s going to be weeks until the Nets play at Barclays Center again, but at least they gave the home crowd a show.

The Nets knew Atlanta was going to be a tough test, but they aced it. Kevin Durant helped them dominate the end of the third quarter for a come-from-behind 117-108 victory before a crowd of 17,323.

It marked a third straight win for the Nets (5-3), who closed a six-game homestand and now head on a six-game road trip with momentum.

“That would be nice,” Nets coach Steve Nash said before the game. “Any time you have a little momentum and you can continue it especially before you go on a long road trip it would be great to hold home court.

“We’re playing a good team, so to have a good performance would be great. But to get the win also would be nice; and then to set off on this trip — which may be the longest of the year — with a win would be good.”

Yes, it’s the longest. And yes, they got a win — and a solid one, at that.

With Trae Young and a skilled young core, the Hawks are perfectly designed to give the Nets’ fragile defense fits. But for the first time all season, Brooklyn won while getting outrebounded.

The Nets — who’d been 4-0 when they had the edge on the boards and winless when they didn’t — got outrebounded 54-49, but found a way.

Durant poured in a game-high 32 points, including 12 in a game-changing 23-7 run to close the third quarter. It flipped a 72-69 deficit into a 16-point cushion to close the third that they easily held throughout the fourth.

Joe Harris continued to show signs of breaking his early-season malaise, scoring 18 points on 6 of 8 from deep. James Harden had 16 points and 11 assists, and Patty Mills added 14 as six Nets finished in double figures.

De’Andre Hunter led Atlanta with 26 points, while Young had 21, 10 assists and nine boards. But in the end, the Nets had Durant, and just enough defense.

The Nets were trailing 72-69 with 7:17 left in the third on a pull-up by Young — who was held to 6 of 22 shooting — before they turned the tide. Durant scored the final seven points in a 13-3 spurt to take an 82-75 edge with 3:37 left in the quarter.

Clinging to an 83-79 edge, the Nets reeled off the final 12 points of the third. After they forced a Lou Williams airball with five seconds left in the third, Mills pushed the ball up at breakneck pace. He got it to Durant, who beat the buzzer with a 3.

That made it 95-79, and the Nets were never challenged again.

“They have weapons, a lot of guys can fill it up, a lot of great shooters,” Harris said. “Obviously Trae is the head of the snake there, with the pace that he plays with, attacking downhill, his quickness creates a lot of problems, can get in the paint. But then he can also stretch you out and knock down 3s consistently. They’re a difficult matchup for any for any defense in the league. It’s a good test for us.”

Harris showed auspicious signs of breaking out. After shooting .347 from deep through his first six games, he followed a 2 of 4 effort against Detroit with Wednesday’s scalding.

But he, Harden and Bruce Brown helped hold Young somewhat in check and made him work.

“In the playoffs, he clearly took a step — and last season in general — in the playoffs took a step as far as running this team, managing the game, making others better,” Nash said of Young, who was a point of emphasis. “We know he has great vision, but I think he took a step with his maturity and understanding.”