From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH
Flatbush Snaps Two-Game Skid With Fourth Quarter Surge
"As a new leader of the Nets, the television camera in the first quarter caught Kevin Durant (admonishing?) encouraging Joe Harris to take a shot from the left corner, who instead elected to pass off. That may not seem like much and will likely go unspoken. However, I think playing alongside KD will be hugely beneficial towards Joe's continued career advancement..."
On Wednesday evening against the Atlanta Hawks, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, after sitting out Monday's game, return to action. This time Coach Nash staggers their minutes, unlike during their previous three starts together.
That set up a curious moment early in the fourth quarter when Kyrie Irving engages in a dispute with the refs, which for a split second gives the impression matters might escalate. But they didn't; Irving quickly subdues himself, but not before Kevin Durant is again seen admonishing Kyrie from the sidelines, perhaps about maintaining his composure.
On the one hand, what was said is between friends, and I guess we'll never know because this will, like with Joe Harris, remain unspoken about. On the other hand, this marks instance number two within the team's first five games in which Durant was caught by home viewers playing team (captain) police. Regardless of what was said, stern best describes the expression on Durant's face.
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Brooklyn trailed the Hawks through the first three quarters until finally overcoming the Hawks with a 43-37 effort in the fourth. The Nets are out-rebounded but are an effective 19/41 (46.3%) from the arc. Kevin Durant is the big man on campus with a game-high 33 points, eleven boards, and a team-high eight assists in a season-high (four starts) 35 minutes. Irving recovers from a sloppy start and finishes with a strong fourth quarter in leading the Nets down the stretch to a four-point margin of victory. He finishes with 25 points and six assists. Meanwhile, Joe Harris registers his best game to date, shooting 8/11 from the field and 6/8 from the arc en route to an early season-high 23 points.
But it's the bench that truly propels the Nets to victory. Taurean Prince shakes off a bad start to his season with a perfect 5/5 from the floor and 2/2 from the arc for twelve points. Caris Levert tied for a team-high eight assists with ten points, and Landry Shamet does what Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot does not. Shamet, like Prince, goes a perfect 5/5 from the field, 2/2 from the arc, and 2/2 from the line for 14 points with team-high plus-eleven in 17 minutes. Getting the start, Luwawu-Cabbarot scores three points with three assists in 26 minutes.
The politics of playing minutes at center continue. Jarrett Allan off the bench is a plus-eight with fifteen points and a game-high 13 rebounds in 24 minutes. DeAndre Jordan contributes five points, one rebound, and one block in 15 minutes as the starter.
- NEXT: Atlanta Hawks back at Barclays on Friday
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