The Brooklyn Nets beat the Chicago Bulls 138-112 at United Center on Wednesday, avoiding straight losses on the road.

This was the first victory the Nets have achieved in their nine games against top-four teams in the Eastern and Western Conference. They lost to the Bulls in the previous two matchups.

Kyrie Irving appeared for the Nets in Wednesday's game and James Harden returned as well after resting for their loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday. The two plus Kevin Durant did not get to play together much since they joined hands, but they managed to do so on Wednesday night.

Irving was 4-10 in field goals (FGs) to get nine points, four rebounds and three assists during the 25 minutes he had on the floor. Compared with him, Harden and Durant were the biggest heroes for the Nets in the game. Harden had a remarkable double-double of 25 points and 16 assists. When he was hot enough to go 5-8 from downtown, the Bulls had to be more responsive to his shooting gesture outside, making it easier for Harden to penetrate and pass to open teammates. Though he was only 1-5 in the paint, Harden drew eight free throws and made all of them for the Nets.

Unlike Harden, Durant barely needed anyone to worry his touch. His problem has always been with stamina. The good news for Durant on Wednesday was that his teammates, especially two role players Day'Ron Sharpe and Patty Mills, were able to score efficiently. Sharpe went 10-12 under the rim to get 20 points and seven rebounds while Mills drained six triples at 75 percent to score 21 points.

The good performance of his teammates enabled Durant to spend the first half of the game more easily with 10 points and six assists, saving enough strength and releasing them when it mattered the most. Having gone 4-6 in FGs, 2-3 in 3-pointers and 7-7 in free throws in the third quarter, Durant had 17 points and three assists in Q3, leading the Nets to a 39-19 run. The game was basically gone after that.

The Nets' sharp offense aside, they also made some correct defensive decisions to acquire the win on Wednesday. One of them was firmly shutting DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine out of the paint. DeRozan was not in his best shooting form (7-16 in FGs). LaVine was covered by Durant. Without a reliable rim protector inside, the Nets made sure that two of the opponents' most keen-edged blades couldn't hurt their most vulnerable defense spot.

What happened on Wednesday night at United Center was hardly the ideal way for the game of the Nets or their Big Three because it bet too much on the touch of Harden. However, it's an acceptable solution for the team to apply, at least in the regular season.

"We're trying to make no statements to the league," Durant said after the game. "I mean, who cares what they think. We know what we bring to the table, and it's all about us. But I'm sure people were watching the game tonight."

"We're that good," Harden said. "We have a chance to be that good. We just haven't had enough of it."

Having suffered one of their worst losses at home, the Bulls had a lot to reflect on. For example, why did they commit seven turnovers in the third quarter? Why did they chose to shoot at 1-9 behind the arc while Nikola Vucevic had great mismatch advantage in the paint?

Meanwhile, there's one serious concern for the Bulls to deal with after Derrick Jones Jr. twisted his right knee 36 seconds into the game and never came back. The team already missed Patrick Williams, Javonte Green and Alex Caruso, they couldn't afford to lose more wing defenders unless they want to watch their defensive rating continue to drop.

Lakers lost again on Westbrook…fine, what's new?

The Sacramento Kings defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 125-116 at Golden 1 Center on Wednesday, ending their five-game losing-streak.

The Kings reversed the situation with a 40-23 run in the third quarter. De'Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley III both got 10 points in Q3, tearing the purple and gold apart in the paint.

LeBron James dropped 34 points, seven rebounds and six assists for the Lakers, including scoring 12 in the last quarter. Malik Monk drained six triples for the team, but the two attempts of his at the 3-point line in the fourth quarter didn't fall.

Despite the difficult situation, the Lakers had the chance to make a difference in Q4. Austin Reeves went 3-3 in FGs to get seven points and two rebounds, both on the offensive glass in this quarter. The purple and gold cut their trail to two points (118-116) with an 8-0 run in two minutes.

Fox then made a pullup jumper for the Kings to extend the lead back to four at 1:27, but the purple and gold were on the trend already.

Russell Westbrook dribbled to the front court, facing Harrison Barnes who stood two steps away from him at the 3-point line. Monk set two screens for Westbrook, trying to put the easier defender Fox in front of Westbrook, but his attempts failed because Barnes always went around the screen without even looking at Westbrook outside the 3-point line.

Having dribbled for almost 20 seconds, Westbrook pulled up, shot a 3-pointer and missed it. Chimezie Metu made a triple for the Kings in the next possession, making it much harder, if not impossible for the Lakers to catch up with only 46 seconds left.

Westbrook was 2-13 in FGs and 0-4 in 3-pointer before taking that shot. He had eight points, 12 rebounds and six assists in Wednesday's game. It's the third consecutive game in which he failed to reach double-digit points. Westbrook was 8-40 in FGs and 0-6 in triples in the three games and the Lakers lost two of them.

Some furious Lakers fans again on social media platforms called for the team to trade Westbrook, a suggestion that the team kept hearing since the season had begun. Their front office made some calls but so far no one's interested in accepting Westbrook and his two-year, $91.2-million contract, not to mention to give the Lakers players they want.

Anyone who watched the Lakers' games this season knew what the team's problem is and why Westbrook doesn't fit with James. It took them a while to figure it out but now most of them should realize that it's impossible to change how Westbrook plays.

The Lakers want Myles Turner, Jerami Grant, Domantas Sabonis or even Damian Lillard. So do their fans, but the general managers of the teams the above guys play for want to keep their jobs too.

Other games on Wednesday (away teams come first):

Charlotte Hornets 109-98 Philadelphia 76ers

Orlando Magic 106-112 Washington Wizards

Miami Heat 115-91 Atlanta Hawks

Dallas Mavericks 85-108 New York Knicks

Houston Rockets 128-124 San Antonio Spurs

Cleveland Cavaliers 111-91 Utah Jazz