Kevin Durant imposed his will in the Nets’ Friday victory over the Boston Celtics, scoring 25 points with relative ease. Yet as good as he looked, the two-time Finals MVP said he’s not 100% back from the injury that cost him all of last season.
“I was out for 18 months not playing an NBA game, not playing against that physicality, the speed of the game,” Durant told The Daily News. “So it’s gonna take me some time to get my feet up under me, get my legs right.”
It’s been 552 days since Durant ruptured his Achilles in Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals, which cost him the entire 2019-20 season. In his second game back, albeit a preseason exhibition showcase against a Celtics team without their star point guard, every bit of Durant’s superstar game was on display.
On one play, Durant grabbed a rebound, dribbled the distance of the floor, then settled for his trademark hesitation pull-up jumper from mid-range. It was cash.
A few plays after, he blew by Boston’s premier perimeter defender Jaylen Brown, then finished for an and-one layup over Daniel Theis. Brown dropped his head and raised his hand, a gesture best summed by two words: “My fault.”
Later in the game, he received the ball in the high post with the smaller Marcus Smart defending him. Durant turned around and elevated, netting a jump shot like he was in a chair drill.
Durant finished with 25 points on 9-of-16 shooting from the field, along with six rebounds and three blocks. The Nets outscored the Celtics by 28 in the 25 minutes Durant was on the floor.
“Having a team like we have, those guys support me every time I step on the floor, try to put me in great positions to be successful, and we’re just playing off of each other,” Durant continued. “So if we continue to do that, this will be a smooth ride for me as I get back into the swing of things.”
LIFE OFF THE BENCH
For Caris LeVert, life not as a starter hasn’t been much different.
LeVert has been the Nets’ early Sixth Man, though head coach Steve Nash said no rotation decisions are final. He scored 18 points on 6-of-13 shooting from the field and helped extend the Nets lead back beyond 20 after a third-quarter Celtics rally cut the lead down to nine.
“I just try to be in go mode all the time, attacking, whether that’s coming off a ball screen, looking for guys, playing off the ball, being ready to catch and shoot, or being ready to attack in transition,” LeVert said. “I feel like I’m always just aggressive, and that’s going to be my role going forward, whether I’m starting or coming off the bench. I’m just aggressive trying to get guys involved, trying to get my own shot, trying to make winning plays out there.”
LeVert also said Durant, Nash and Kyrie Irving tell him to be aggressive often, especially when he’s on the floor with the two stars.
“Those guys talk to me a lot about what they expect from me when I’m out there, what they expect from me when I’m coming off the bench,” he said. “I’m just aggressive, especially when I’m out there with those guys, because you can’t help off of any of them. You can’t help off of KD, you can’t help off of Kai, you can’t help off of Joe [Harris]. So it’s really just me out there playing against my defender so I feel like Spencer (Dinwiddie) and I will really benefit from those situations, for sure.”
ROTATIONS AH GWAN
Nash started Irving, Dinwiddie, Harris, Durant and DeAndre Jordan for the second consecutive preseason game, and a big emphasis has been on the Nets’ second unit, and who will make the cut for limited playing time on a team contending for a championship.
Nash’s first five off the bench against the Celtics: LeVert, Jeff Green, Taurean Prince, Landry Shamet and Jarrett Allen. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot also played important minutes on Friday.
How did he settle on those six off the bench first?
“We have lots of depth, lots of options. (Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot) has had a great camp too,” Nash said. “So, it’s hard to fit everyone in, lots of guys deserve to play but we feel pretty confident about our second unit and whoever that is. It could change. It could be different guys in different scenarios, different nights. We definitely feel like depth is a strength for us, and those five guys that came in and relieved the first unit I thought played very well.”
Nets rookie Reggie Perry, combo guard Tyler Johnson, and swingman Bruce Brown — who the Nets acquired in the Dzanan Musa deal with the Detroit Pistons — also saw playing time.
Rodions Kurucs, Chris Chiozza and Jeremiah Martin each registered a DNP — Coach’s Decision, and second-year forward Nic Claxton continues to miss time with right knee tendinopathy.