Monday night’s win over the Utah Jazz was definitely one of the biggest victories of the season for the Nets, and Kevin Durant knew it.
As KD passed Hall of Famer Jerry West on the NBA’s all-time points list (more on that later), he poured in 37 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and dished out eight assists in Brooklyn’s 114-106 win over one of the best teams in the league.
As Durant knocked down two big three-pointers in the middle of a 15-point third quarter, he and the crowd were feeding off each other’s hype.
“It’s one of the best teams in the league,” Durant told reporters after the win. “Got some great players on this team. They bring the best out of you. Just try to be there for my guys and feed off the crowd, and I want the crowd to feed off of me as well.”
From Dec. 30 to March 6, the Nets went 9-24, with an 11-game losing streak mixed in. They went from a No. 1 seed favorite to the current position they are in – trying to get out of the play-in tournament.
But now, they have won six of their last seven, with Durant leading the charge – he’s averaging 30.8 points per game since returning from injury.
Steve Nash said he isn’t surprised by what the 2013-14 MVP is doing, but did admit he looks a bit more locked in than usual.
“I don’t want to say that he’s not always competing at a high level, but he was terrific tonight, obviously scoring the ball, distributing the ball, defending, rebounding, so total effort from Kevin, we needed it, and he was incredible,” Nash said.
Durant was a bit more vocal to Utah on Monday, chirping at the Jazz all night long, who had their own scuffles with Julius Randle and the Knicks on Sunday.
“I think it’s just part of the game,” he said. “That’s the true essence of the game, is that dialogue that goes on around the court. We all seen it playing on the blacktops and in high school gyms. That conversation around the court is always fun, it’s always a good vibe. Sometimes I like to indulge in it while I’m playing…
“I enjoy playing, I enjoy other players who approach the game that way. [If] that’s what gets you going, then I appreciate it, and I respect it. I approach it how I approach it. Sometimes I like trash talk, sometimes I like to be silent out there. It just depends on my mood and how I feel throughout a game. But I’m prepared for anything.”
“You can’t talk to him,” added Bruce Brown. “I don’t know why people were talking to him. Don’t get him going. You don’t want to get him going.”
KD PASSES WEST
Durant moved into 22nd place on the league’s points list after passing West, which he called an “honor.”
“Winning a championship with Jerry and having conversations with him and just knowing the history of who he is, he helped kickstart the NBA basically, it’s an honor,” Durant said. “He’s just a legend in the game, legend in our sport, almost like the godfather of our sport. Good to see him still back around the game, but it’s even better to pass him, because next time I see him, I’m gonna give him a little s—t about it, but it’s great to be amongst the all-time great players in this league.”
