“I’m not trying to be a hero out there” - Kevin Durant on duplicating previous game’s heroics after Brooklyn Nets lose 104-89 to Milwaukee Bucks in Game 6 | 2021 NBA Playoffs
Kevin Durant was not as dominant in Game 6 as he was in the previous game, and the Brooklyn Nets subsequently suffered a 104-89 drubbing at the hands of the Milwaukee Bucks.
The 2014 MVP had an all-time great performance in Game 5 and was expected to come out with the same mentality in the closeout game on Thursday.
However, Kevin Durant said that he wasn’t even trying to duplicate his 49-point, 17-rebound and 10-assist outing and was more focused on playing the right way.
“I wasn’t even trying to duplicate it,” Durant said in the postgame presser. “I was just trying to go out there and play each possession. I’m not trying to be a hero out there. I know I can’t win a basketball game by myself. I was just trying to play the right way, take the shots that were there for you. I feel like I rushed just to try to get us back into the flow, switch the momentum a bit.
“But for the most part I thought I was aggressive, put pressure on the defense and I got to keep the ball in my hands a little bit more. Being aggressive is always a positive for us especially when I’m going down hill. I try not to duplicate shooting nights like that. Just trying to let the game flow, and tonight wasn’t our night.”
Though the Brooklyn Nets superstar didn’t explode offensively like he did in Game 5, he was still a handful for the Bucks.
Kevin Durant finished with 32 points and 11 rebounds. He wasn’t distributing the ball as much, with James Harden mostly taking care of the playmaking chores.
Unlike Tuesday, where he played the full 48 minutes, Kevin Durant took a breather in the second quarter, which was his first time resting in a game since Game 4. He finished with 40 minutes of playing time for the Brooklyn Nets.
Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets fell short on their runs
The Brooklyn Nets had a couple of runs in the third and fourth quarters, with a five-point deficit getting them as close to the Milwaukee Bucks as they possibly could. However, a 14-0 run by the opposition broke their backs, and it was all over from there.
Kevin Durant complimented the Bucks for not backing down after every Nets run.
"I felt like we were right there,” Durant said. “We just couldn't get over the hump."
The Brooklyn Nets never led and were playing from behind throughout the game. The Bucks’ P.J. Tucker and Jrue Holiday took turns guarding Kevin Durant with varying degrees of success.
Ultimately, it was the star pairing of Giannis Antetokounmpo (30 points, 17 rebounds) and Khris Middleton (38 points, 10 rebounds) who put the Bucks on their backs to take down the Brooklyn Nets.
The series is now tied at 3-3, with the Game 7 to be played at Barclays Center on Saturday.
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