Aussies Abroad: Simmons' nets crumble

Cole Anthony has driven for a layup with 0.2 seconds left to complete Orlando's 17-point fourth-quarter comeback in a 102-101 NBA win over Brooklyn.

Anthony scored 10 points and Tristan da Silva 13 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter for Magic, who were down 71-51 midway through the third quarter on Sunday. Goga Bitadze added 19 points, 11 rebounds and five assists.

Orlando's (20-14) comeback was their second in eight days, after they rallied from 25 points down to beat Florida rivals Miami 121-114 on December 21, and it consolidates fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings.

Cam Thomas came off the bench with 25 points to lead Brooklyn in his first game since November 25. Jalen Wilson added 16 points and Australia's Ben Simmons had six points, seven rebounds and seven assists.

Thomas, the Nets' leading scorer with 24.7 points per game, played 25 minutes after missing 13 games with a strained left hamstring.

The Magic completed a four-game season series sweep of Brooklyn (12-20), who lost for the seventh time in nine games and first since trading Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton to the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Nets in return received guard D'Angelo Russell, forward Maxwell Lewis and three second-round draft picks.

Russell, who averaged a career-low 12.4 points for LA this season in a diminished role under new coach JJ Redick, is being traded by the Lakers to Brooklyn for the second time in his career. He also made the move in 2017 after spending his first two NBA seasons with Los Angeles, who drafted him in 2015.

Russell earned the only All-Star selection of his career during his two seasons with the Nets.

With AAP.