DETROIT — The Nets have two of the NBA’s three most accurate active 3-point shooters: Seth Curry and Joe Harris. But it’s their teammate, Yuta Watanabe, who has become King of the Corner 3. 

After his 17-point game Friday, which included going 3-for-4 from deep, Watanabe is shooting 53.8 percent from behind the 3-point arc. The Japanese forward will enter the game Sunday at Detroit shooting 19-for-26 (.731) from the corner, which seems like a misprint, but actually is a perfect complement to Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. 

“Everything, everything is easier for me, because I think all the corner 3s I made [Friday] I was just standing there,” Watanabe said. “Like, I wasn’t moving, I wasn’t finding a spot. As soon as we got the ball, I just run to the corner, wait, wait, wait and then they gave me great passes. So I’m just glad they’re my teammates. 

“Because we have so many guys that can create one-on-one, that’s not my job, so I can stay in the corner. [Defenders] know I’m a good shooter, so they’re not going to leave me, and that creates space for them. If they don’t leave, they can just attack. If they leave me, I’m wide open. Just make shots. Simple. Simple basketball.” 

Irving hit the game-winning 3-pointer Friday, his first literal buzzer-beater in the NBA. But he hasn’t been that sharp from outside lately, going 13-for-40 in his last five games. 

“I took my time, got my balance underneath me, which is something I want to work on from this day on, just having my balance underneath me on my 3s,” Irving said. “I haven’t been shooting the 3 ball as well as I would have liked this season, so just trying to continue to improve every game.” 

Where did he get that advice? From his father, Drederick Irving. 

Kevin Durant, with 26,394 points, has moved within one of John Havlicek for 17th place on the all-time NBA scoring list, and within three of Paul Pierce at 16th. He’s also 102 shy of Tim Duncan for 15th. 

Durant humorously walked back an offhanded comment he made in 2019 about finishing his career with Spanish EuroLeague power Barcelona. 

“Yeah, I was just excited at that time a few years back. We’d just won a championship [in 2017 and ’18], I was playing great and I guess you’re thinking about the end a little bit too much when you’ve reached the pinnacle of what it is to be an NBA player and I said something crazy like that,” Durant said with a chuckle, adding he has friends in and respect for the EuroLeague. “But I really doubt that’ll happen. It sounded good though when I said it.” 

Nic Claxton (15 points, 10 boards) had a career-high six blocks Friday. 

As expected, Patty Mills (non-COVID illness) will be out against the Pistons, along with David Duke Jr., Kessler Edwards, Day’Ron Sharpe and Alondes Williams, all with G-League Long Island.