“Goodness gracious looked like the ‘Bad Boys’ Pistons out there, looked like Jordan and Pippen out there” - Kevin Wildes praises Brooklyn Nets’ defensive work in win over Knicks
Fox Sports Analyst Kevin Wildes showered praise on Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving for leading the Brooklyn Nets to a comeback 110-98 win against the New York Knicks.
The Nets have picked up steam as the postseason approaches. They overcame a 21-point deficit on Wednesday at Madison Square Garden to sweep the season series against their cross-town rivals. Durant and Irving combined for 56 points on the night to lead a massive second-half comeback.
Kevin Wildes spoke about the game on the popular sports debate show "First Things First", comparing the Brooklyn Nets to historic defensive teams. He said:
"They put the defensive clamps on. The Knicks scored 31 points in the second half. In the fourth quarter, oh my goodness gracious, looked like the "Bad Boy Pistons" out there, looked like Jordan and Pippen out there grabbing steals. The defense was so good. They're a great defensive team once the playoffs hit."
"The Nets put the defensive clamps on, the Knicks scored 31 points in the second half. The Nets looked like Bad Boy Pistons, like Jordan and Pippen, in the 4th quarter." — @kevinwildes https://t.co/SCF0Sv1uy0
The Knicks scored just 31 points in the entire second half after scoring 67 in the first. They forced seven Nets turnovers and had a 17-point half-time lead. However, the Nets turned it up a notch in the second half. They scored 38 points in the fourth quarter and held the Knicks to just 16.
The Brooklyn Nets have overcome a 20+ point deficit twice at the Madison Square Garden this season. Interestingly, Durant hasn't lost to the Knicks since 2013.
Kevin Durant told he hasn't lost to the Knicks since 2013. He pumps his fists:
"I got something to talk about on twitter now."
Wildes compared the Nets to excellent defensive teams like the "Bad Boy Pistons" of the 1980s and the Michael Jordan-Scottie Pippen duo of the Chicago Bulls.
Durant scored a triple-double with 38 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds, while Irving had 24 points, seven assists, eight rebounds and three steals. The Nets forced eight Knicks turnovers in the second half and had four steals and two blocks.
Kevin Durant on Brooklyn Nets' comeback win against New York Knicks
Kevin Durant was quite enthused about the win at the Madison Square Garden. The victory was even sweeter, as it was against their cross-town rivals.
As reported by ESPN, Durant spoke up about the rivalry in the postgame press conference:
"We know how much Knicks fans don’t like us, especially now this era of the Nets, with us not choosing the Knicks, me and Kyrie. So it definitely adds something to the rivalry."
"[The Knicks] had a good chance at getting us back in free agency. But we just felt like we wanted to build here and just make our mark on this franchise"
Kyrie Irving reflects on his & Kevin Durant's decision to sign with the Nets https://t.co/Qu6kkIR3gk
However, there was one thing that still irked Durant because the Nets were down in the first place. He doesn't like the idea of a comeback because he doesn't want his team to be in a deficit at all, saying:
"It's risky. I hate being down. I hate even being that team - get down and we fight back. I don't like that s--t. I don't want that to be a part of who we are."
The Brooklyn Nets (42-38) are destined for the NBA play-in tournament, with just two games left in the regular season.
They are tied with the ninth-place Atlanta Hawks and are one game behind the seventh-place Cleveland Cavaliers (43-37).
They take on the Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers (25-55) in their final two games. If they win both, they will climb to seventh in the Eastern Conference.