"Did we win a championship tonight?" - Kevin Durant puts up dominant game but downplays significance of Brooklyn Nets' crushing win over Philadelphia 76ers
Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets knew what was in store for them ahead of Thursday's game against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center.
With Ben Simmons making his return to Philadelphia for the very first time, Durant knew that Brooklyn would be facing a hostile reception from the 76ers fans.
Instead of getting cowed down by the situation, Durant and the Nets steamrolled their opponents with a crushing 129-100 win.
FINAL SCORE THREAD 
🏀 FINAL SCORE THREAD 🏀
KD dropped 18 points in the first-half to lead the @BrooklynNets to the win in Philly! #NetsWorld
Kevin Durant: 25 PTS, 14 REB, 7 AST, 2 STL
Kyrie Irving: 22 PTS, 4 REB, 5 AST, 2 BLK, 5 3PM
Seth Curry: 24 PTS, 5 STL, 4 3PM https://t.co/bqpS2O5W2i
The game was pretty much a one-sided affair all through. The Brooklyn Nets put up a 40-point first quarter and a 72-point first half. They led their opponents by 21 at the half and by 32 at the end of the third period.
Kevin Durant was simply unstoppable as he stacked up 25 points, 14 rebounds, and seven assists. He was complemented by Kyrie Irving, who finished with 22 points and five assists. Meanwhile, Seth Curry had 24 points and five steals against his former team.
Durant, however, downplayed the significance of their win against the Philadelphia 76ers. Speaking after his remarkably efficient 10-of-17 (58.8%) shooting game, the Nets superstar said it was the media that had built up the narrative around the matchup.
He commented:
"It's a regular-season win. Did we win a championship tonight? No. Did we get to clinch a playoff spot? No. For you guys on the outside, with the whole James [Harden] situation, just the entertainment aspect of it, I'm sure, was big, but for us we move on to the next one."
Kevin Durant downplays the significance of tonight's win in Philly:
"It's a regular-season win. Did we win a championship tonight? No. Did we get to clinch a playoff spot? No" https://t.co/ErLR1wgrce
"We look at Ben as our brother" - Kevin Durant, who wanted to stop Philadelphia fans from heckling Ben Simmons
Kevin Durant was aware of the boos and heckling that were directed at Ben Simmons during the pre-game practice sessions and when the Australian was sitting on the bench.
Durant said he wanted the fans to focus on the game instead, and the best way to do that was to come out and play hard. He told the media:
“Most definitely. I think all of us, we look at Ben as our brother. We knew that this was a hostile environment. We knew that he didn't have an opportunity to play, so we wanted to come out there [and] had them [the Philly fans] focus on the court moreso than just always focusing on him. So they focused on the court tonight. It’s hard for you to chant at Ben Simmons when you’re losing by that much.”
"We look at Ben as our brother."
Kevin Durant said the Nets wanted to have the attention on the court in Ben Simmons' return to Philly.
(via @SNYNets)
https://t.co/WFFZM2a55a