MY ACCOUNT
Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant vented his frustration over perceived dirty play by the Milwaukee Bucks in Thursday’s defeat but begrudgingly acknowledged they did an effective job on him.
Durant missed a three-point shot on the buzzer that would have given his Nets the win, but they ultimately went down 120-119 in overtime.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 44 points (14-of-21 shooting) for the Bucks to go with 14 rebounds and six assists, while Jrue Holiday finished with a game-high six steals.
The hotly contested matchup between two teams that played out a seven-game series in last year’s playoffs featured a contentious moment late in overtime as Durant was fouled on a three-point attempt by Wesley Matthews, which was reviewed as a potential flagrant.
Speaking to post-game media, Durant made a point of it being the second time in as many games that he feels he was targeted with a dangerous foul.
“We all thought that was reckless, right?” Durant asked the media in attendance.
“I think technically, I have to be in the air and come down on his foot, and that’s the flagrant… but as soon as I hit the floor, here he comes running at my leg.
“It wasn’t a [basketball play] – I thought it was supposed to be a flagrant. But I didn’t make the correct play to get a flagrant, I was supposed to still be in the air while he’s underneath me.
“I’m hurting. That’s two games in a row where players have walked up underneath me while I’m trying to make a basketball play, so my ankle hurts.”
After discussion moved to the game itself, Durant got frustrated when a reporter asked if the reason the Nets lost this game had anything to do with chemistry, a subject often brought up in reference to Durant’s close friend Kyrie Irving.
“It was just basketball mistakes – we’re not going to play a perfect basketball game,” he said.
“It always sucks when you lose, and you tend to think back on the mistakes that you made, but we try to play mistake-free basketball – everyone in this league does.
“Giannis [Antetokounmpo] had eight turnovers, Jrue [Holiday] had six. They had 14 turnovers between their two best players – I’m sure they don’t want that either, but that’s just the game.
“They hit one more shot than we did. I don’t think it’s because of a lack of chemistry, or we didn’t play hard. It’s just one of those games that didn’t fall our way at the end.”
Durant then paid some respect to the reigning champions and gave some details about the way the Bucks defended against him.
“They did a good job – they know [who I am], they know what it is,” he said.
“If I get the ball out top, I’m seeing the whole team looking at me. Kyrie got the same treatment.
“Brook Lopez, he’s played against me in the playoffs before. This team knows how to prepare for me.
“If I get a drive, if I get a lane, I’m hearing guys coming over to help, and they’re calling for more help. It’s only going to make me better as a player to see those looks.
“We shot the ball pretty well [as a team] – I think that’s because we were making the right plays.”
When asked if his sore ankle could force him to miss any games, Durant said no chance.
“No, I’m good,” he said. “It’s a little sore, you know how it goes.”
