BOSTON — Steve Nash desires followers to imagine the Nets’ playoff hopes don’t squarely relaxation on Kevin Durant’s shoulders; His workforce’s success is extra a byproduct of wonderful workforce basketball than the celebs they signed to max contracts.
The Nets’ 114-107 loss to the Celtics in Game 2 decisively proved in any other case, as did a daily season that spiraled whereas each of these stars had availability points. In a recreation neither of their stars confirmed up, the Nets’ supporting solid couldn’t carry the load.
“Our identity is what it is,” mentioned Kyrie Irving, who scored simply 10 factors within the loss. “I just believe that, even me coming out tonight, and I only shot 13 times, I felt like we were in great position coming out of halftime just as a team. It’s no time for me to look at my individual stats and what I need to do. I want us to continue with that effort. I believe we can do it. We’ve just got to show it.”
For the second recreation in a row, Durant, a two-time NBA Finals MVP and four-time NBA scoring champion, succumbed to the stress and physicality of the league-best Celtics’ protection. And for the second recreation in a row, the Nets paid for it with a loss, which stung rather more than the buzzer-beating game-winner that price them Game 1.
Durant turned the ball over six instances in Game 2 — after lacking 15 pictures and turning the ball over six instances in Game 1 — and shot 4-of-17 from the sphere for 27 factors, with just about all of his factors coming on the foul line. He went to the charity stripe 20 instances and transformed on 18 of these pictures.
“They’re playing two or three guys on me sometimes when I’m off the ball, mucking up actions when I run off stuff,” Durant mentioned postgame. “I see (Celtics big man Al) Horford leaving his man and coming over to hit me sometimes. There’s two or three guys hitting me wherever I go, and that’s just the nature of the beast in the playoffs.”
But this time, Durant didn’t have Kyrie Irving as famous person assist. Irving, who pelted the Celtics for 39 factors in Game 1, tallied simply 10 factors on 4-of-13 capturing from the sphere in 41 minutes of play. Under Boston’s swarming defensive stress — and relentless jeering from the identical Celtics followers he as soon as performed in entrance of — each the Nets’ famous person guard and ahead put up a dud.
“Well, clearly it helps if (Durant and Irving) have their typical outings, but that’s not the only way (we can win),” Nash mentioned postgame. “I think there’s plenty of ways. (Boston’s) superstars didn’t have incredible games, so it’s a team sport, it’s a team effort and I think our group’s got a lot of ways where we can improve.”
Nash is correct. Basketball is a workforce sport, however the Nets stay much less of a workforce and extra a group of gifted gamers. They are a group of gifted gamers led by their superstars, and when their superstars don’t play effectively, the workforce loses video games.
If Durant just isn’t having a particular recreation, or if Irving just isn’t having a particular recreation, these Nets as a rule don’t stand an opportunity towards the higher groups within the NBA. The Nets constructed a 17-point lead within the second quarter, however the Celtics are usually not the Detroit Pistons, or the Indiana Pacers or the Cleveland Cavaliers. They wiped that lead away and turned it right into a 12-point benefit whereas Durant and Irving continued to battle from the sphere.
“Some nights I have to (score 30 or 40 or 50),” Durant mentioned. “I’ve just gotta be prepared for anything. They’re doing a good job of trying to cut off my scoring, trying to limit my shot-making. Two or three people contest and there’s somebody there in the lane when I’m driving. They might double here and there, so they’re doing a good job and it’s on me to figure it out.”
Durant and Irving acquired the assistance. Seth Curry hit 4 3-pointers and completed with 16 factors. Goran Dragic scored 18 factors in 20 minutes off the bench. Bruce Brown scored their first 9 factors and completed with 23 factors on 3-of-4 capturing from downtown. And the Nets held Celtics’ All-Star Jayson Tatum to simply 5-of-16 capturing for under 19 factors after he scored 31 in Game 1.
But of the eight gamers who logged minutes in inexperienced and white, seven scored in double figures. That’s as a result of these Celtics weren’t constructed solely on star energy. They had been constructed on sharing the ball, turning protection into offense and taking part in bodily basketball.
The Nets grabbed the identical variety of rebounds because the Celtics and gained the battle on the offensive glass. They turned the ball over the identical variety of instances as their opponent and blocked 4 extra pictures than them, too.
None of that mattered, although, as a result of the Nets’ No. 7 and No. 11 didn’t have it going. And in the event that they don’t get it going quickly, it gained’t matter whether or not or not Ben Simmons fits up or the sequence shifts again to Barclays Center. The Nets won’t win this sequence.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com