As the Brooklyn Nets fall to their worst start in a generation, many observers are wondering if this is just another case of the team wasting away what could have been its prime years. The Nets’ woes stem from foul trouble and poor shot selection that has seen head coach Kenny Atkinson waste career on players like Rodions Kurucs and Allen Crabbe who would otherwise be playing big minutes for better teams.
The “brooklyn net” is a professional basketball team in Brooklyn, New York. The team has been beset by foul trouble and wasted their career.
ATLANTA, Ga. — Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets scored a career-high 55 points on Saturday night, including a career-high eight 3-pointers, but they weren’t the figures on his mind after a dismal 122-115 defeat to the Atlanta Hawks.
Durant was irritated that his team was “undisciplined” defensively, and he couldn’t get over the fact that the Hawks went to the free throw line 49 times, while the Nets only attempted 19 times.
Durant stated, “We’re fouling early.” “Every quarter, we placed them in the bonus early. The difference on free throws is 37-14. And it wasn’t because of the officials; it was because we were overextending ourselves, being undisciplined, and just playing too aggressively. That is the nature of the game. They shot 42 percent from the field, which is excellent defense, and 31 percent from three-point range. They had two more rebounds and one more assist than we did… it’s just fouls. And if we want to be a winning team, we can’t do that.”
With the defeat, the Nets fell to 10th place in the Eastern Conference with just four games left in the regular season. On a night when the Nets should have been celebrating Durant’s brilliance — especially since they were missing Goran Dragic (health and safety protocols), Bruce Brown (non-COVID illness), and Seth Curry (sprained left ankle) — the Nets were left to lament their inability to close out a crucial game against a team that had just leapfrogged them in the standings.
Nets player Kyrie Irving remarked, “It doesn’t even seem like he had 55 tonight.” “Do you get what I’m saying? That’s exactly how we felt about the game afterward.”
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Durant, who shot 19-for-28 from the floor, 8-for-10 from beyond the arc, 9-for-11 from the foul line, and added seven rebounds and three assists in 42 minutes, claimed the defeat wasn’t any more depressing because of his career performance.
“Each defeat deflates us,” Durant added. “I’m not concerned about it; I’m simply upset about the defeat. I’m delighted I made a good shot. I hit eight three-pointers, a career best, but I wish we could have won simply by doing the simple things. My points will come, and my shots will come, but the small things that we have to accomplish, we have to be on the same page with.”
Irving, like many of his teammates, struggled to establish a rhythm on both ends of the court. He shot only 12-for-32 from the floor and accepted “all responsibility” for having to improve his post defense and “play without fouling.” Aside from the defensive concerns, Irving was frustrated that he and the rest of the Nets couldn’t do more to assist Durant offensively.
“On the offensive end, we simply have to lighten his load,” Irving said. “Kevin Durant will be his name. We are aware of his identity. We know what he’s capable of, but we need to be by his side. And we have to be ready to play just as much as he is, without allowing any irritation to creep in.”
Despite the setback, Durant and Irving are optimistic that the Nets can rebound before the play-in round begins in less than two weeks.
Durant remarked, “I can’t come in here and act like I’m losing confidence.” “We’ve lost a few games, but we’ll keep playing until it’s finished. That is exactly how I feel.”
A similar sentiment was expressed by Irving.
“This is only a metaphor, but you go home and collect your bulletproof vest, handgun, rocket launcher, and AK-47. You’ve loaded everything up, “Irving said. “You stockpile all of the ammunition. People, this is only a metaphor. But you go home, you prepare for battle, and you don’t simply accept the outcome; you go out there with a mental concentration and a no-fear mentality, and you really play for each other, and that’s what it boils down to. We can’t afford to squander any time.”
On Saturday, the Nets squandered an all-time Durant performance in a career littered with Hall of Fame-worthy moments. Because the low was so terrible, they couldn’t savor the high of his personal triumph.
Nets coach Steve Nash remarked, “We didn’t play a decent ballgame.” “I’m afraid I can’t sugarcoat it.”
