BOSTON — Kevin Durant had no room. He admitted as a lot. Every time he had the ball towards the Celtics on Wednesday evening, and even when he didn’t, defenders have been crowding his house, shadowing him, draping themselves throughout him like Saran wrap. They have been on the perimeter, and within the paint, and on the elbow. How was it potential that solely 5 of them have been on the court docket without delay?
“They’re mucking up actions after I run off stuff,” mentioned Durant, who singled out the Celtics’ Al Horford for “leaving his man to return over and hit me typically.” Durant went on: “Simply two or three guys hitting me wherever I’m going. And that’s simply the character of the beast within the playoffs.”
It was nearing 11 p.m. as Durant supplied up his autopsy of the Nets’ 114-107 loss to the Celtics in Recreation 2 of their first-round playoff collection, and he didn’t essentially appear involved. In truth, his evaluation got here off as dispassionate: Right here have been the information, and it was his job to treatment the problems because the Nets search to rebound from their two-games-to-none deficit within the best-of-seven collection. It heads to Brooklyn for Recreation 3 on Saturday evening.
“It’s on me to only end it and determine it out,” he mentioned. “I’m not anticipating my teammates or the protection to present me something. I simply received to go on the market and play.”
Durant is having an atypical collection. Within the Nets’ loss in Recreation 1 on Sunday, he shot 9 of 24 from the sphere and dedicated six turnovers. In Recreation 2, he shot 4 of 17 from the sphere and dedicated six turnovers. The Celtics, with their size and toughness, produced the N.B.A.’s top-ranked defense in the course of the common season, and now they’re placing the clamps on one of the best all-around scorer on the planet. It’s no fluke.
“If you’re an amazing scorer, otherwise you’re a constant scorer, you’re used to seeing open house, and also you’re normally shaking guys with one or two strikes,” mentioned the Nets’ Kyrie Irving, who had his personal issues, scoring 10 factors whereas capturing 4 of 13 from the sphere. “However with this protection, these two or three strikes, guys are staying in your hip.”
You will have heard this already, however the Nets have had a turbulent season. At one level, James Harden performed for them, till they traded him away for Ben Simmons. Irving was not allowed to play for the Nets, after which he was — however solely on the highway, up till a few month in the past. And keep tuned: Simmons may very well make his debut for the workforce on this collection. The underside line is that the Nets have by no means had a lot cohesion.
It could be a mistake, after all, to depend them out. Durant and Irving are able to doing extraordinary issues all by themselves. However the Celtics are decided — they trailed on Wednesday by as many as 17 factors earlier than mounting a comeback — they usually have two stars of their very own, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, who’ve lastly unlocked their very own model of chemistry. Irving gave the impression of their publicist.
“I’m not stunned in any respect,” Irving mentioned. “I simply suppose the timing is true. Their window is now for these younger guys which might be on this workforce which have matured. They’ve been by collection collectively, they’ve been by seasons collectively, they usually’ve been by battles collectively.”
On Wednesday, the Celtics have been prepared for a battle. A few hours earlier than the sport, Marcus Good, the workforce’s start line guard, made an announcement when he confirmed as much as the sector sporting a bedazzled boxing gown with the acronym “D.P.O.Y.” splashed throughout the again. In a pregame ceremony, he formally accepted the N.B.A.’s Defensive Participant of the 12 months Award from a solid of luminaries that included Gary Payton, who was the final guard to assert the award, for the 1995-96 season.
Nonetheless, just about everybody within the constructing anticipated Durant to bounce again from his struggles in Recreation 1, and for good purpose. Final season, he averaged 41.8 factors within the 4 video games that adopted playoff losses for the Nets. Ime Udoka, the coach of the Celtics, was aware of that statistic. He cited it earlier than Wednesday’s recreation.
“Simply understanding what he’s going to return out and attempt to do,” Udoka mentioned. “Everyone knows that.”
Udoka, particularly. Final season, he was one among Nets Coach Steve Nash’s assistants. Udoka has institutional data, and he has been placing it to make use of.
“They swap every thing,” Durant mentioned. “They’re mainly taking part in a zone so it’s simpler for each participant. They don’t must chase over screens, don’t must battle by stuff. Simply use your size, sit within the lane and assist.”
At his postgame information convention, Durant stored glancing on the field rating as if it have been a riddle he wanted to resolve. He made just a few observations. He noticed, for instance, that the Celtics had seven gamers rating a minimum of 10 factors, which was indicative of their stability. He additionally noticed that “they made just a few extra pictures than us.”
Options weren’t forthcoming — not but. On the one hand, the Celtics merely maintained their home-court benefit within the collection. However, the Nets are in dire straits: They should win 4 out of the following 5 video games, probably. The maths is unforgiving.
“To be sincere with you, we don’t actually have time to be disenchanted,” Irving mentioned.
Maybe Durant’s minutes are starting to take a toll. Within the ultimate weeks of the common season, the Nets wanted to scramble to guarantee themselves of a spot within the postseason, and Durant shouldered a heavy load: 42 minutes towards the Charlotte Hornets, 45 minutes towards the Milwaukee Bucks, 42 minutes towards the Atlanta Hawks. He additionally equipped greater than 40 minutes within the ultimate recreation of the common season, a 5-of-17 capturing efficiency towards the Indiana Pacers. It was, in its personal manner, an indication of issues to return towards the Celtics.
Forward of Saturday’s recreation, Durant mentioned he would examine movie. He expressed religion in his teammates.
“The identify of our recreation is simply to play extraordinarily exhausting,” he mentioned.
The issue? That’s the Celtics’ recreation, too.
