Skip Bayless compares Kevin Durant to LeBron James after latter misses clutch free throws in loss: “KD just faced LeBron's worst nightmare”
Skip Bayless took a dig at LeBron James after Kevin Durant missed clutch free throws during the Brooklyn Nets' away loss against the Dallas Mavericks. Bayless said that Durant faced James' "worst nightmare" of having to make free throws in the clutch.
The renowned analyst, one of James' most prominent critics, has condemned the four-time MVP for not being an efficient free throw shooter, especially in the dying moments of a game.
Bayless used Durant's situation against the Mavericks to have a go at James, saying:
"KD just faced LeBron's worst nightmare - having to make all 3 free throws to force overtime. He made the 1st - HIS 62ND STRAIGHT MADE FREE THROW. But he lipped out the 2nd - nightmare! - forcing him to miss the 3rd on purpose."
KD just faced LeBron's worst nightmare - having to make all 3 free throws to force overtime. He made the 1st - HIS 62ND STRAIGHT MADE FREE THROW. But he lipped out the 2nd - nightmare! - forcing him to miss the 3rd on purpose.
Kevin Durant received three free throw attempts with under six seconds left and had to make all of them to potentially send the game into overtime. He had made 61 consecutive attempts from the foul line and extended it to 62 with his first free throw.
However, Durant missed the second attempt and had to deliberately miss the final free throw to get a second-chance opportunity. The two-time finals MVP failed, though, as the Nets lost the tie 96-94.
Last season, LeBron James found himself in a similar spot during a game against the Golden State Warriors. James missed the first attempt, hit the second, and had to brick the last shot to secure a two-point play to tie the game. James got a second chance but didn't release the ball before the buzzer.
Kevin Durant's free throw streak ends at the worst possible time
Kevin Durant recorded 62 consecutive free throws before missing the second of his three free throw attempts during the Brooklyn Nets' loss against the Dallas Mavericks. Durant's last miss was against the Milwaukee Bucks on October 26th.
He broke his longest streak by converting his 53rd attempt against the Charlotte Hornets on November 5 and extending it to 62 against the Mavs. Durant's miss couldn't have come at a worse time for the Nets, who were on their way to making a remarkable comeback against Dallas.
Brooklyn was down by ten with only 2:46 left on the game clock. A series of defensive stops and clutch plays from Royce O'Neale, Joe Harris, and Cam Thomas got Brooklyn right back into the game.
The Nets needed all three points from Kevin Durant on his final trip to the foul line after he was fouled by Dorian Finney-Smith on a 3-point attempt. KD couldn't convert the second shot and had to miss the third on purpose, eventually failing to get the Nets over the line. Durant, however, had a decent game overall, as he bagged a team-high 26 points on 50% shooting.
Durant made great reads on both ends of the floor in the clutch to bring Brooklyn closer to the Mavs' total. A third consecutive road win would've done wonders for the Nets' confidence, but they failed to prevail.
However, Kevin Durant and the Nets can take home the positives from this game and hope to come out on top against their cross-town rivals, the New York Knicks, in their next game at Barclays Center.