Getty Images James Harden, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets’ season, one that was filled with high hopes and championship aspirations, came to a screeching halt in Game 7 against the Milwaukee Bucks. The Nets lost an overtime thriller at home 111-115, as the Bucks will now face the winner of the Hawks and Sixers series, and the Nets are going home.
The Nets fought like hell the entire game to secure a victory. Every time the Bucks would try to pull away Brooklyn countered with a run of their own. The Nets who have been bitten by the injury bug as of late were just unable to contain a loaded Bucks’ squad and all they can do now is look forward to next season.
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Kevin Durant To Play in 2020 Olympics
The Nets who looked as if they were going to lose in the 4th quarter were able to force overtime in Game 7. This was due mostly in part to Nets’ star Kevin Durant who made NBA history against Milwaukee. KD’s 48 points in Game 7 are the most points ever scored in a Game 7 in NBA history. Perhaps even more impressive is that Durant played all 53 minutes during the Nets’ loss. In the final three games of the series, Durant sat on the bench for a total of eight minutes.
If there is a silver lining to the Nets’ early exit, it is that Durant will not have to play an extended number of minutes going forward with Kyrie Irving out, which could have been detrimental to his surgically reconstructed Achilles. Most expected Durant to take some time off to rest this summer after being out of the playoffs earlier than he is used to. However, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Durant’s summer of hoops is just getting started.
“Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant is expected to commit to Team USA for the Tokyo Olympics this summer, sources tell me and [Anthony V Slater],” Shams said per his Twitter account on Sunday, June 20. “Durant averaged 34.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 4.4 assists over 12 games this postseason.”
Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant is expected to commit to Team USA for the Tokyo Olympics this summer, sources tell me and @anthonyVslater. Durant averaged 34.3 points, 9.3 rebounds and 4.4 assists over 12 games this postseason.
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Durant More Focused on Development Than Accolades
For some, this decision by Durant to play in the 2020 Olympics is a controversial one. KD already missed 23 games this year with a strained hamstring, in his first season since returning from an Achilles tear that he suffered in the 2019 NBA Finals.
With the influx in injuries in these NBA Playoffs, most expected that KD’s mindset this offseason would be to get fully healthy for another crack at the title in 2022. However, Durant told ESPN’s Rachel Nichols earlier this season that championships are no longer his motivation. What motivates him now is seeing how good he can get at basketball, and the only way for him to achieve that is to continue playing.
“Once I won a championship [with Golden State], I realized that, like, my view on this game is really about development. Like, how good can I be? It’s not about, you know, let’s go get this championship,” Durant said per ESPN. “I appreciate that stuff and I want to win to experience that stuff, but it’s not the end-all, be-all of why I play the game.”
With what we saw from Durant this postseason, him coming back as an even better version of himself with a chip on his shoulder could end up being scary for the rest of the league.
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Nets Kevin Durant Makes Major Decision on Hoops Future After Game 7 Loss