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3 takeaways as Durant returns, Warriors fall apart offensively in loss to Nets

By

Jacob Hutchinson

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© Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

For the first time since signing with the Brooklyn Nets last year, Kevin Durant returned to face the Golden state Warriors. It was his first time playing in Chase Center and San Francisco after his would-be return was halted when the NBA shut down following the Rudy Gobert COVID-19 situation last year.

The significance of that return dissipated as the Nets waxed the Warriors 134-117 and Golden State dropped to 14-13.

Durant returns

By the end of this one, the significance of Kevin Durant’s first game against the Warriors seemed to fade. It wasn’t Durant’s fault; it was the fault of the Nets dominating and the Warriors collapsing into themselves like a dying star.

Part of that energy fading was the fact that fans are still not present. It’s hard for that emotional element to hold as much weight when there aren’t those thousands of fans reacting.

Even without  that, though, there was some tangible significance, with Curry chatting up Durant before the game, and Draymond Green hugging him just before tip.

There was also the welcome back video. The Warriors will play another one when fans are allowed back and Durant makes his real return.

Draymond goes down, returns

There was a terrifying moment for the Warriors at the end of the second quarter when Green went down on a non-contact play and walked into the locker room. It was an, “oh no, not Draymond too,” moment, but it turned out to be some sort of soreness that Green was able to return from.

But what Green’s absence belied is that the Warriors simply cannot take another injury, especially not Green. Saturday was the first time that he did not have 10-plus assists after a career-high five-straight. Only Nikola Jokic has a longer streak of that many assists for a starting center.

As much as the last few weeks have been defined by Curry finding an absurd performance level again, it’s simultaneously been about Green’s absurd, all-enveloping defensive presence and ability to run the entire offense from the high post. His injury scare was a reminder of how invaluable he is.

Need bricks? Come on down to Chase Center

The Warriors absolutely could not compete with the Nets on Saturday night. Not even close. It was a beatdown from start to finish.

At one point in this game, the Warriors had missed 11-straight 3-pointers and were 4-of-24 from 3-point range. Damion Lee’s three with under 3 minutes in the third quarter ended that run.

But it was as much about the Warriors’ shooting woes as it was the Nets absolutely tearing them apart, piece by piece. That big three of the Nets was as absurd as you could expect they’d be, displaying ruthless efficiency.

Harden was incisive as a passer, and perhaps the most dominant of the three and added to his points tally late by proving himself incapable of missing. Kyrie Irving followed him in the same fashion once Harden rested late. Durant was the least effective of the three offensively, but his defense was stellar. Oh, and Bruce Brown.

Who? Bruce Brown. The Nets’ starting center was the main beneficiary of the Nets’ ball movement. Here’s what their starting lineup did:

  • Kevin Durant: 20 points (8-of-19, 1-of-6 from 3-pt), 6 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks
  • Kyrie Irving: 27 points (10-of-17, 2-of-5 from 3-pt), 4 assists, 5 rebounds, 1 steal
  • James Harden: 19 points (6-of-11, 5-of-8 from 3-pt), 16 assists, 8 rebounds
  • Bruce Brown: 18 points (8-of-12), 1 assist, 6 rebounds
  • Joe Harris: 15 points (5-of-9, 3-of-6 from 3-pt), 4 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block

Yeah. Against a Nets team doing that, going 9-of-33 (26.5 percent) from three is not viable. Stephen Curry, despite a stat line that would be outstanding for normal NBA players, with 27 points (10-of-17, 2-of-9 from 3-pt), 5 assists, 3 rebounds, was not superhuman, especially not from deep. Andrew Wiggins had 17 points on 7-of-15, but many of those baskets came too late, as did Kelly Oubre’s 17 points (6-of-15, but 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block).

It was a night the Warriors had to be perfect, and instead, they were offensively inept.

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