Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors reacts after making a basket over Courtney Lee.
The Brooklyn Nets closed out their season on Sunday with a 123-109 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. The team finished their season with an overall record of 48-24 and will head into the playoffs as the second seed in the Eastern Conference.
Brooklyn is the overwhelming favorite to win the title because of the three-headed monster of James Harden, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Durant. While the Nets All-Stars are what has drawn the attention of the media this season Brooklyn’s success has been a team effort. KD knows that every man on the roster will play a pivotal role in Brooklyn delivering the franchise its first-ever NBA championship.
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Kevin Durant Says Nets Have ‘Big 15’
“I think we’re the Big 15, so yeah. We will be alright,” Durant said in response to if the ‘Big 3’ have had enough playing time together per SNY.
Did Durant take a slight at the New York Knicks with that comment? Earlier this season Knicks players Reggie Bullock and Julius Randle had a similar response to the prospect of having to play the Nets ‘Big 3.’
“We got a big 5,” Bullock said to reporters last month about how they would handle the Nets ‘Big 3’ via SNY. Knicks All-Star Julius Randle doubled down on Bullock’s comments
saying, “We got a big 15.”
Even though the Knicks have been an NBA team for longer, the Nets having three All-Stars on their roster gets them all the media attention in New York, but that does not matter to the Knicks. The only thing New York is focused on is improving as a team and continuing to win.
“We’re not really concerned about their Big 3. We know what type of basketball we’ll be able to come into the game and play,” Bullock continued. “We’ll focus on our team. The game plan that coach draws up. Other than that, that’s all we’re focused on. The Knicks.”
Kevin Durant on if the “Big 3” has gotten enough time on the floor:
“I think we’re the big 15, so we’ll be alright”
Reggie Bullock says the Knicks won’t be fazed by facing the Nets’ Big 3:
“We got a Big 5”
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Nets End the Season on a High Note
At 48-24, the Nets finished the season 24 games over .500 which is a franchise record in terms of winning percentage. Despite all the turmoil and injuries the team has faced this year, the Nets are exactly where they want to be and head coach Steve Nash could not be prouder.
“It’s great. You think about all the things that have been thrown at us and how difficult this year was for everybody. Just the condensed schedule and all the protocols; I’m really proud of our team,” Nash told the media after Sunday’s win via NetsDaily.
With Sunday’s win over the Cavaliers, the Nets locked up the second seed in the Eastern Conference despite their ‘Big 3’ only playing 8 games together this season. For the Nets the time has officially come for them to put up or shut up as their chase for a championship begins this weekend.
“Getting the two seed is an accomplishment for everything that we faced this year and I feel like everybody in that locker room contributed in a meaningful way which makes it special,” Nash continued.
“Lots to be proud of. Lots to be thankful for, but this is what we came for. Now we get to work and really go at it.”
The Nets will play the winner of the Wizards and Celtics play-in tournament game.
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