Brooklyn Nets: Kevin Durant Lifts Flatbush To Transcendent Victory

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
PLAYOFFS: ROUND TWO

Nets lead Bucks; 3-2

I - BKN 115; MIL 107

II - BKN 125; MIL 86

III - MIL 86; BKN 83

IV - MIL 107; BKN 96

V - BKN 114; MIL 108

There's A New Duke of Flatbush, And His Name Is Kevin Durant

Brooklyn has its transcendent NBA moment, the Barclays Center, and its uproarious fans in utter delirium.  To date, this stands as the Brooklyn Nets finest moment on the court.  Compromised by injuries and thus underestimated in some circles, the Nets undeterred and unrelentingly take a 3-2 advantage in their second-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Kevin Durant takes the weight of Kings County upon his shoulders and carries the Borough to victory while putting forth perhaps the most prolific performance in New York City post-season basketball history.

Just thirty-one seconds in, Durant scores the first two points of the game.  But Flatbush trails by 14 points after the first quarter, then takes a 16 point deficit into the half.  Kevin Durant scores 18 points in the first half.

The Nets still trail by 16 points midway through the third quarter.  That is until 6:18, when Durant drives to the basket for two.  Kevin Durant would score 31 points over the final 17-plus minutes of the game from that moment forward.  Durant scored eleven points in the third quarter while the Nets put up 38 points and outscore Milwaukee by ten to close to within six.  Brooklyn again outscores the Bucks in the fourth quarter by a twelve-point margin.  Look no further than Kevin Durant, who scores 20 points during the final session.  Flatbush wins by six.

Durant finishes 16/23 (69.5%) from the field, including 4/9 from behind the arc and 13/16 from the line for a game-high 49 points, with a game-high 17 rebounds and game-high ten assists.  He played all 48 minutes.

Next, we need to know about the status of James Harden and how much harm did he bring upon his barking hamstring with 46 minutes or not.  His mere presence alone in game five is a major contribution.  He helps Durant with ball distribution while providing something else for Milwaukee to consider.  Playing on one good leg, Harden still ties Jrue Holiday with eight assists.  

Jeff Green steps up his game when the Nets need it most.  He shoots 8/11 (72.7%) from the field, including a clutch 7/8 from behind the arc and a perfect 4/4 from the line for 27 points and a team-high +12 in 35 minutes off the bench.  Brooklyn simply does not win this game without Green's stellar performance.  He twice scored a regular-season high 23 points in January and April games, respectively.  In two first-round games against the Celtics, he totals nine points in 39 minutes.  Last Sunday, he scored eight points in 27 minutes during game three's loss.

Blake Griffin gives Brooklyn three scorers in double-digits, with 17 points in 29 minutes.

JOE HARRIS: Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are!

You know who didn't step up his game when the team needed him most ... Joe Harris, that's who!  He finishes just 2/11 from the field, including just 1/7 from behind the arc for five points in 37 minutes.  Being back home at Barclays did nothing to either comfort him or compliment his game.  After scoring 19 points in game one and 13 points in game two, Joe Harris is down to three points in game three, eight points in game four, and just five points in game five. 

Milwaukee outscores Brooklyn in the paint by 20 points.  But despite Joe Harris, the Nets make up the difference with a nine-point advantage from behind the arc and a nine-point edge from the free-throw line.

The decision to load up again for game six close-out or save up for a game seven is squarely on Steve Nash and staff and trainers.

We shall see ...

But Steve Nash may want to consider inserting DeAndre Jordan and letting him burn through his personal fouls against Giannis, then patting him on the butt for a job well done.  

You know what I'm saying ...