Kevin Durant lauds 3x NBA All-Star citing him for major honor: “You’re trying to figure out where that impact’s gonna come from”
Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets recently headed to The District to square off against the Washington Wizards in a highly anticipated showdown. The game marked Durant's return to his hometown and saw the Nets pick up their fourth straight win. With the franchise firing on all cylinders, it seemed as though the Wizards stood little chance.
The Wizards have now lost seven straight. During that time, Bradley Beal has been sidelined for five games with a hamstring injury. Prior to the game, Beal was cleared for on-court activities. However, he ultimately sat out the game against the Nets.
The way Kevin Durant sees things, without Beal, the Wizards are left without a key presence on the floor. Without his ball-dominant offensive game, it's no wonder that the Wizards scored just 100 points. Durant spoke after the game to media members where he touched on Beal's impact:
"He's a Hall of Famer, All-Star player. Take that away from your team, you're trying to figure out where that impact's gonna come from."
See Durant's comments after the 112-100 win over the Wizards in the video below. His comments about Bradley Beal being a Hall of Fame caliber player come shortly after the five-minute mark.
Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets' recent surge
After a rocky start to the season, Kevin Durant and the Nets have been on a tear as of late. In addition to winning seven straight games, the team also finds themselves climbing the Eastern Conference ladder. With a 17-12 record, the team has gone from one of the most underwhelming in the East to just one game out of third place.
On top of that, Ben Simmons has returned to form as an All-Star caliber player. After struggling early in the season to hit his stride after sitting out the entirety of last season, Simmons has managed to turn things around. In the recent win over the Wizards, Simmons scored 10 points while getting eight rebounds and dishing out five assists.
At the same time, Kyrie Irving seems to have hit his stride without creating controversies. In the win over the Wizards, Irving was the team's second-leading scorer with 24 points. The all-around performance also saw him add six rebounds and five assists, while also grabbing a steal and two blocks.
For a Nets team that looked to be the story of the season early on given the chaos and uncertainty surrounding them, it's been quite the turnaround. Following Steve Nash's departure, it seems as though Jacque Vaughn has found the recipe for success in Brooklyn.
Whether or not the team is able to carry that momentum into the postseason, only time will tell. Below you can see some highlights from the Nets' recent win over the Bradley Beal-less Wizards.