Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash labelled Kevin Durant as “one of the best who has ever played the game” after the superstar’s latest achievement.
Durant posted 23 points in the NBA championship-chasing Nets’ 109-99 win at home to Eastern Conference rivals the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday.
Two-time champion Durant nailed two three-pointers to move 26th on the all-time NBA list with 1,687 threes, breaking a tie with Hall of Famer Nash.
“He’s one of the best who has ever played the game so it’s no surprise. It was coming I’m sure,” Nash said after the Nets bounced back from Tuesday’s blow-out loss to the league-leading Golden State Warriors.
James Harden fuelled the Nets with 27 points, while Patty Mills added 21 points to give Brooklyn four 20-point scorers for the first time this season.
The Nets have won eight of their past 10 games to be 11-5 to open the 2021-22 campaign.
“A lot of ups and downs. In the second half, we just had a meltdown and they capitalised. They made shots,” Harden said post-game.
“We are fortunate they missed a lot of open shots. In the second half, they made a lot of them, so the good thing is we came away with the win and we just got to keep improving. No excuses.
“It wasn’t a good showing for four quarters, but we came away with the win and we just got to keep pushing forward.”
Mills added: “Nothing’s gonna be handed to us on a silver platter. It’s a grind, it’s a marathon.
“And nights like tonight, you just got to dig deep and find a way to be infectious in a good way and be able to spread those good vibes on the court, on the bench, no matter what it is.”