Kevin Durant was left searching for answers after another frustrating offensive performance Saturday left the Nets in a 3-0 playoff hole, writes Nick Friedell of ESPN. Durant, who is shooting 19-of-52 against the Celtics’ relentless defense, thought he might have overcompensated to Boston’s focus on him. He handed out eight assists, but only took 11 shots and finished with 16 points.
“I feel like the first two games I was trying to be too aggressive,” Durant said. “A team that’s loading up on me, that’s trying to take me out of all my actions. I felt like I was still trying to force the first two games and watching film, a lot of my teammates were open and they were knocking down shots, so I felt my approach to this game was to play off of everybody — get in the flow of the offense and let the ball move and find me.”
The Celtics have taken a physical approach with Durant and are using multiple defenders to keep him off balance. He played at an MVP level in March and April, averaging 30 points per night to help Brooklyn climb into the seventh seed, but has been limited to 22 PPG in the first three games of the series. Now he faces a monumental task just to get the Nets out of the first round.
“Man, we know what it is,” Durant said. “I don’t think no speech or anything will do it at this part of the year. You know what it is — we down 3-0. … On Monday, we’ll come out and play.”
There’s more from Brooklyn:
- The chaos that surrounded the Nets all season might be catching up with them, suggests Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. Between Kyrie Irving‘s long absence due to the vaccine mandate, the James Harden trade that shook up the roster at midseason and Durant’s injury, Brooklyn had little chance to develop into a cohesive unit. “We’re all trying to jell and usually you’re jelling around the right time,” Irving said. “And that team in the other locker room is jelling at the right time, been jelling since Christmas. We’re just in a new experience as a group, and we have to respect that.”
- Steve Nash has been badly outcoached by Ime Udoka, argues Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. Mannix notes that the Nets’ offense features constant isolations with very little movement, and when they do force switches the Celtics are able to adapt quickly. He also questions whether Nash will return next season if things don’t turn around quickly.
- One bright spot for Brooklyn has been Bruce Brown, who led the team in scoring Saturday with 26 points. He took the rare gamble during the offseason of accepting a $4.7MM qualifying offer and now is in position to cash in as an unrestricted free agent, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN. The Nets own his Bird rights and can go over the cap to keep him.
No need to search for answers.
Celtics are just better.
In every way.
Teamwork and chemistry was awesome!
No doubt that both KD and Kyrie quit in Game 3. Total failure. They both ruined the Nets.
Lol here come the ridiculous takes, right on cue
My “take” doesn’t insinuate Kyrie and KD aren’t amazing basketball players. They are. But the Nets as a team don’t have anything over the Celtics.
I’m speaking moreso about the comment that I replied to (which should be obv tbh). Much like the rest of these guys you seem like more of a hater than an actual fan of basketball but I gotta be real, I don’t put u in the same pot as the rest bc u do seem like u have some knowledge of the game. And I basically agree that Boston has a better overall team. But I def feel like BK should have the edge in the paint, especially when Rob was out. I thought Drummond should’ve been getting way more pt. Also the return of Simmons makes Brooklyn the better team imo. Probably too late to make a difference tho
” More of a hater than an actual fan of basketball”
Don’t mistake my enjoying messing with folks on here, including you, for not being a fan of basketball. Or do, I don’t care.
Drummond can’t guard anyone but Horford and Theis, while Horford or Theis can switch on anyone. The Nets are a very badly constructed team. Hero ball doesn’t work all the time.
Drummond is getting chased off, but he looked on course to be more key. Celts are just having nothing against them!
Horford is amazing on the hedge. He can just chase the guard away, as tough as that is with Irving and Brown.
It was surprising when Brown was out of the rotation earlier in the year. I guess he has to be pumped up to be any good at all, but what up, coach Nash.
KD and Kyrie have no leadership ability whatsoever
Kyrie does care about winning at all.
He loves to win but is no longer willing to pay for it with anything more than his game time effort and a little practice.
That’s never been enough.
Sadly this nonsensical comment is pretty much par for the course on this site. Anybody aware of any sites where actual logical basketball talk takes place?
Not going to find much intelligent basketball conversation on any sites, tv stations, or radio shows that I’m aware of. Hell, doesn’t seem to be much of it in half of the NBA front offices.
Kyrie thought it would be a cake walk because he looked awesome playing once or twice a week, super fresh, against opponents that were playing a normal load and tired post jan when they had been gaming full time for months!
You thought he looked awesome? That had to be tough to admit.
Dude was dropping 60 playing once a week after missing most of the season while healthy and able to train. I mean it was moronic both in what was happening, and any sense that he could continue at that rate while facing a normal workload. He played part or part of a season and is already wearing down. Enjoy the first round exit Kyrie you earned it, KD I am sorry you choose to waste your greatness on him, but you could still be rolling with super 6th man unselfish Steph as your partner…
Durant & Irving… like Towns & Russell, or PaulG & KawhiL… friendships don’t always work for the stars.
Where are all those people who were so sure that the Nets were going to beat the Celtics?
Lol how does that crow taste now.
All those people are now savagely criticizing KD, Kyrie (& Simmons somehow, but rarely if ever Nash)
I’d say the last three merit it, Sank. Durant’s doing his best but having two selfish malcontents as his lieutenants, plus a useless coach, is a real drag. Throw in a roster bereft of help beyond Brown, a tip-top Celtics D, and the ravages of father time, and it’s hard to believe anyone expected Durant to carry this squad anywhere.
Kyrie & Ben are selfish malcontents in your opinion. I wonder how you would describe yourself
Man you are just Stanning for Kyrie and the Nets! They are a first round sweep, and defending Kyrie is actually absurd.
I couldn’t care less about the nets but umm yes Kyrie Irving is great at basketball. That’s moreso extremely obvious than absurd. Also 3-0 ain’t a sweep
The dude is at the press conference complaining about lack of chemistry for the season that he missed most of voluntarily. I mean its flat earth Kyrie. Dude can hoop, but is any of the hooping worth allllllll the baggage? I would be super scared signing him to a max deal!
You sure care about the Nuts a lot in this comments section Sankara.
You must be their mascot.
Sank is a strange extreme mix of young maturity and old knowledge, maybe institutionalized.
If Simmons is healthy is this series ANY different?
If Simmons was a shell of his old self, I’m sure he’d have slowed Tatum down and would’ve helped the transition game. The Nets defense looks like a pickup game on West 4th Street.
If Simmons was a shell of his old self, this series might be even worse. Hack-a-Simmons would be in play and viable.
Dumb take. If the Celtics really wanted to go that route they could’ve just played Hack-a-Claxton. There is no chance this team would be worse with an all star and DPOY caliber player.
It’s kind of a moot point, don’t you think? Simmons hasn’t played a second of ball this year.
He could have been going except for the effects of stress and a layoff.
Simmons would have been ideal for breaking up the Boston zone-looking defense, so good are they at switching.
Durant always does this. Just shoot bro. You didn’t lose game 1 from forcing shots if you’ve been forcing shots your whole hall of fame career
Shoulda stayed with GSW and teammates that are in it to win it…
I am happy he did not stay with GSW. He is not in it to win it. Just like Kyrie, he is in it for himself.
@Cobi
Such a weird thing to say since he brought GSW 2 chips and he was MVP each time they went to the finals.
Durant needed the challenge of forming a new thing. Such endeavors do not usually work however in a 30-team league where only the #1 gets remembered.
Kobe Bryant & Jayson Tatum… is there much difference between these guys as basketball players? Kobe had more team success early in his career but ofc young Jaylen Brown (as great as he is) is no prime Shaq. Anytime I’m asked to describe JT’s game to a non basketball fan I say he’s basically a slightly taller & slightly more likable version of Kobe. Is there another better comp for him? 21st century Gervin?
Plus there’s no record of sexual assault. Have to see that as a major plus.
Well I’m pretty sure he was exonerated on all that but I did say Tatum was slightly more likable.. larger issue, why is no one in here capable of debating this rather elementary topic? Tatum/Kobe comps should be low hanging fruit, stuff u guys can handle. Even if u haven’t thought of it before it should be easy to take a position on this. Ik yall seen both those guys play, even the casual fans amongst us
Not close to being exonerated. “The case was dropped after Bryant’s accuser refused to testify in the case. A separate civil suit was later filed against Bryant by the woman. This was settled out of court and included Bryant publicly apologizing to his accuser, the public, and family, while denying the allegations.”
He apologized for cheating on his wife and setting a bad example as a role model & whatnot but no jail time, case dropped, no admission of guilt, it’s rarely even talked about when his name is brought up, all that goes directly against your characterization of Kobe as, “Not close to being exonerated.” That sounds about as close to exonerated as possible tbh.. but again, what type of basketball fan would rather debate whether Kobe was/wasn’t exonerated than whether Tatum is the new Kobe?
Sank quit B’ing about other poster’s schedules and habits. B. Why haven’t you found what you want yet? Not enough sites talking BB?
Gervin is a good comp but he was chemically mellowed recreationally, a problem with BB in the 70s. Tatum has a more modern affliction, of coddlement, of being told just do ___ and ___ and you will get ___, don’t be a human with foibles, everything else will be taken care of. And presto, an NBA player, manufactured to an ideal, wondering why critics keep him from getting awards he thinks he should have.
I never dreamed it could ever feel good supporting the Celtics but the world really needs to see Kyrie and the Nets lose.
Knock knock
Who’s there?
Owen
Owen who?
No 0-3
Nash inexperience as a playoff coach has been exposed. Truth is Celtics exposed team. Not easy to just put a team together around two stars. And expect results. Never been a Kyrie guy. But I don’t see Nets letting him walk. Nash will probably take the fall for this. He really should have an experienced vet coach as an assistant. Might be too late now. Nets healthy and with Kyrie and Ben all yr. Are still a contender. And now have something to prove.
They run it back with Nash to give him a chance with a full and healthy squad. If you love ballers you love KD and even Kyrie. Shut off your politics and enjoy the game. They have zero team identity at the moment and are deservedly in a hole.
If only team identity was something Irving had control over…. Oh wait….
Nash is gone
Why? He is one of the top coaches in the league, as a matter of fact if BOS had Nash as a coach they would be the favs to win it, but alas they don’t so they stand no chance to win!
LMAO Nash is a top coach in the league? LMAO
So KD is not the best player in the league? Hmm…
Giannis just scored 50 in a championship winning game. He been 1st team all defense the last like 5yrs in a row & could easily be looking at his 4th straight mvp season. Shouldn’t be a question as to who the best player is. As great as KD, Jokic & Embiid are, Giannis & Bron still the top guys & Giannis is a clear #1
Lol Bron is not a top 2 player at this point in his career. That’s just nonsense. All 30 teams would take KD, Jokic and Embiid over LeBron.
Depends on fit. Some teams may want a Lebron over a Embiid like say Denver.
Celtics are playing great on both side of the floor thanks to coach Udoka who has done a great great job on this team …
I had my doubts early in the season but I was wrong, he’s definitely the right coach for this team. Brad Stevens has done an amazing job as president of the team, it’ll be fascinating to see what he does in the off-season. You’d have to think this team would be an attractive place for free agents to come chase a ring
The C’s payroll will be high with 131M$ and Grant Williams extension also. Stevens can cut up to 7M$ in player option including Nesmith … Theis is kinda bad contract but Stevens wanted to bring the KY teamates.
Some good FA picks with D iQ : Caleb Martin, JaeSean Tate, Batum & Hartenstein, JTA & GPII, Bruce Brown