Kevin Durant has been working overtime in the Nets’ NBA playoffs first-round series against the Celtics.
But unfortunately for the Brooklyn star and his team, the results they’re looking for haven’t followed.
The Nets now are on the brink of elimination after losing Game 3 to Boston at Barclays Center. Saturday signaled another underwhelming night for Durant, who only scored 16 points despite playing all but two minutes of the critical contest. It marked only the second time in Durant’s Nets tenure that he failed to eclipse the 20-point threshold in a game he logged 35-plus minutes.
Time on the bench in this series has been sparse for Durant, who played 41 and 42 minutes in Games 1 and 2, respectively. The 33-year-old also averaged 37.2 minutes per game in the regular season, his highest total since the 2013-14 campaign. Although KD continues to add tread to his tires, he insists fatigue hasn’t been a factor for him against the Celtics.
“I don’t think fatigue set in,” Durant told reporters after Saturday’s game, per ESPN. “I feel good playing. I’m not winded. My body doesn’t hurt. I wouldn’t blame it on that.”
While Durant might feel good personally, one has to imagine he isn’t feeling very good about his team. The Celtics made a statement in Game 3 and Boston has given NBA fans and media members alike every reason to believe this best-of-seven set will wrap up Monday night in Brooklyn.
