Welcome to the Basketball Hangover. I write about what’s happening in the NBA daily. Hey! We’re in the playoffs now!
Kevin Durant turned in an all-time performance in Game 5 against the Bucks.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Brad Penner/USA Today.)
So first off, James Harden was a go for Game 5. As expected, Kyrie Irving was out and I don’t expect him to play for the rest of the series after that gnarly ankle injury.
I also didn’t expect Harden to be in full strength. Hamstrings are a delicate thing. It’s hard to have that burst when you’re trying to take care of it.
With Kevin Durant being the only one of their Big Three in full strength (and even then, he tore his Achilles two years ago), I felt like it was the Bucks‘ game to lose.
And it was looking like that for the first half. Harden went 0 for 6 and really looked like he shouldn’t be playing. Durant did score 18 points in the first half while current and former Sonics/Thunder teammate Jeff Green picked quite the game to make his shots; he had 15 in the half. But the Bucks were killing it from the field and were up by 16.
The Bucks even went up by 17 in the third. Then came the meltdown.
I joked that Giannis Antetokounmpo was either throwing a Hail Mary or playing fullback. Misses by the Bucks turned into a 10-1 run by Brooklyn. Going into the fourth quarter, it was suddenly a game as the Nets only trailed by 6.
While the Bucks puzzled people with their offense, Durant went on a shooting spree. Back-to-back threes snatched the lead from the Bucks. Jeff Green never did stop hitting. And Harden, while he couldn’t drive and make buckets, was able to set the table throughout the second half. After Giannis split his foul shots, Durant beat the shot clock with yet another three to give the Nets a four-point advantage. Kevin Durant was simply molten hot.
Durant, however, missed a three with the Bucks trailing by two. Khris Middleton drove down the middle and found an open Giannis inside. But the Bucks fullback fumbled and Durant was able to steal the ball. It became about foul shots and in the end, the Nets were able to steal a game that they probably had no business winning.
It was a combination of Milwaukee’s ineptitude on offense and Kevin Durant’s peak brilliance. It felt like the Bucks could get whatever they wanted in the first half. And in the second half, lots of chucking and isolation.
But Kevin Durant did EVERYTHING. 49 points. 17 rebounds. 10 assists. And he played the whole game. A hobbled Harden couldn’t do much (5-6-8) but he was out there for 45 minutes. Harden being on the floor meant he was a threat to do something. He didn’t do his usual; far from it, really. But it was enough to give the Bucks pause.
Jeff Green was awesome. He only missed one out of 8 three-pointers and scored a playoff career-best of 27 points. Green gets a lot of flak for being one of the most inconsistent players the league has ever seen but he came through in a game that really mattered. Blake Griffin scored the quietest 17 points he’ll ever have but we can’t forget his contributions, either.
On the box score, Giannis went for 34-12-4 and Middleton had 25-4-5. Jrue Holiday had a good game at 19 points and 8 assists. But they’re all guilty of bad execution on the offense (Giannis doing a fadeaway on the much smaller Harden, who is operating on one leg?! YIKES!). That fumble by Giannis was pretty much the game.
As far as the series, we still have a Game 6. It’s going to be back on Milwaukee’s court. By all means, this is not over.
But man, oh, man, did the Bucks miss their chance. Man, did they ever.
Bullet Passes
Well, the all-NBA teams were revealed on Tuesday. Here they are.
I mean, whatever. As far as honors, people can argue about it forever.
What I DON’T like is that contracts are tied to awards and incentives. Jayson Tatum‘s extension won’t be as hefty because he didn’t make an all-NBA team. Maybe it’s a little weird that Donovan Mitchell, arguably the best player on the team with the best record, didn’t make it. And neither did Devin Booker, the best player on the team with the second best record.
Anyway, y’all debate amongst yourselves. I’m tired.
NBA Playoff Scoreboard
June 15, 2021
NBA Playoff Series Count
EAST
#1 Sixers tied with #5 Hawks, 2-2.
#2 Nets lead #3 Bucks, 3-2.
#1 Sixers defeat #8 Wizards, 4-1.
#5 Hawks defeat #4 Knicks, 4-1.
#2 Nets defeat #7 Celtics, 4-1.
#3 Bucks defeat #6 Heat, 4-0.
WEST
#1 Jazz tied with #4 Clippers, 2-2.
#2 Suns defeat #3 Nuggets, 4-0.
#1 Jazz defeat #8 Grizzlies, 4-1.
#4 Clippers defeat #5 Mavericks, 4-3.
#2 Suns defeat #7 Lakers, 4-2.
#3 Nuggets defeat #6 Blazers, 4-2.
Watch This Play
The biggest shot of the game was when Durant made this three with the shotclock running down. This gave the Nets a four-point cushion.
KD FROM DEEP. HE’S GOT 46.
Nets up 2.. Final minute of Game 5 on TNT. #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/B3nXfASKNa
— NBA (@NBA) June 16, 2021
This might go down as Durant’s signature playoff game of his career. What a shot. What a performance.
Everyone, please take care of yourselves during this pandemic. And that goes for everyone involved with the NBA as well.
You can find Rey-Rey on Twitter at @TheNoLookPass.
You can also check out Rey-Rey’s podcast, Rey-Rey Is Fundamental, for more basketball content and, really, whatever else.
R.I.P. Nala.