"Kevin Durant ruined a legendary Kyrie Irving game; this is unforgivable" - NBA world mercilessly roasts Kevin Durant for lousy defense leading to Nets' loss in Game 1 against Celtics
NBA fans have reacted to Kevin Durant's defensive blunder during the Brooklyn Nets' 115-114 loss to the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the 2022 playoffs.
The Celtics may have won Game 1 against the Nets, but it was anything but a cakewalk. In a hard-fought battle, Boston managed to record a win in the final moments of the game behind Jayson Tatum's game-winning layup.
TATUM CALLED GAME ‼️ https://t.co/8slEipnVp2
While Tatum's performance and end-game heroics were noteworthy, NBA fans were shocked by Durant's lack of discipline during the final play of the game.
With his back turned to Tatum, who was at the perimeter, Durant allowed an easy backdoor cut. This allowed the young Celtics superstar to seal the game for his team in spectacular fashion.
After the game, fans took to Twitter to express their thoughts on the blunder. Here are some of the reactions:
Kevin Durant today https://t.co/ixWi7gKe3b
Kevin Durant... why https://t.co/StpOuqlYFM
Kevin Durant totally fell asleep on Tatum, it should be said. https://t.co/pwGYcKydKs
Kevin Durant.exe has stopped working https://t.co/gEFImGWbwA
Kevin Durant sold this last possession https://t.co/KjO9u8UlWy
Did anyone get what Kevin Durant did during this entire play. No defense, no movement, no double team, nothing. He was like almost freezed. https://t.co/XnjlkDKTRG
Kevin Durant ruined a legendary Kyrie Irving game. This is unforgivable
@TheSmooveBurner Decided to become a spectator with 3 seconds left.
@TheSmooveBurner Mans was caught ball watching
Kevin Durant today https://t.co/6F6YJHUNpp
@AndrewDoxy https://t.co/WPsQoVYJ7v
“BLOCK IT DRAYMOND” https://t.co/5i4YnoaKoE
With their defensive meltdown leading to a loss at TD Garden, the Brooklyn Nets will look to make several adjustments to prepare for the next game.
After a relatively poor shooting outing for Durant, the Nets will hope to see their superstar rediscover his form in the next game.
Can Kevin Durant lead the Brooklyn Nets past the Boston Celtics?
After their loss to the Boston Celtics, the Brooklyn Nets find themselves in a precarious position in the playoffs. Having lost an extremely close contest on the road, Brooklyn will have to change gears quickly.
More importantly, the Nets will need their superstars to be at their best. While Kyrie Irving delivered with his performance, Durant struggled to get into his offensive rhythm in Game 1.
Durant recorded 23 points in 41 minutes. However, he shot 9-24 from the field and 1-5 from beyond the arc. He also recorded six turnovers.
23 PTS (on 23 shots)
Kevin Durant tonight:
▫️23 PTS (on 23 shots)
▫️4 REB
▫️3 AST
▫️6 TOV
▫️37.5 FG%
▫️20.0 3P%
▫️-13 (team was +12 without him)
Got outplayed by 4 Celtics starters. https://t.co/Sf54vYbO9N
The Celtics did a great job of containing Durant in Game 1. However, given his reputation as one of the best offensive players, KD will likely return to form sooner rather than later.
As a two-time champion and Finals MVP, Durant isn't someone who fades in the big moments.
Considering that Boston won Game 1 by a narrow margin, Brooklyn could potentially turn things around in the upcoming games.