It’s been nearly three and a half years since Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving shook up the NBA by signing free-agent deals with the Brooklyn Nets in July of 2019. Durant left the Golden State Warriors after winning two titles and two Finals MVP awards, and Irving had won a championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016 before moving on to the Boston Celtics for two seasons.
Nets fans had high expectations and many pundits predicted Durant and Irving would win a few more titles. They hired Steve Nash to become a first-time head coach, believing the Hall of Fame guard understood how to get superstars to play well together. When the Nets traded for James Harden in January of 2021, it became a foregone conclusion the dynamic trio would get at least one ring together. It didn’t work out that way.
The Nets became the NBA’s top reality series filled with drama. Harden was ultimately traded to the Philadelphia 76ers for Ben Simmons and the Nets’ championship window appeared closed. Until now. They were in Atlanta last night (Wednesday) to face the Atlanta Hawks on a nine-game winning streak and had won 13 of their last 14, moving to only 2.5 games out of first place overall in the Eastern Conference. They were 22-12 and the No. 3 seed behind the 25-10 Boston Celtics and 22-11 Milwaukee Bucks.
They continue to be carried by Durant and Irving, two of the league’s leading scorers. Durant was sixth at 30 points per game and 16th at 26. In the Nets’ 125-117 road win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday, Durant scored 32 points and passed Tim Duncan for 15th place on the NBA’s scoring list. He now has 26,516 alongside Dominique Wilkins (26,668), Oscar Robertson (26,710) and Hakeem Olajuwon (26,946).
“To be able to pass a legend, it’s something I’ll call my folks about tonight,” said Durant after the game. In addition to Durant and Irving (32 points) tying for a team high in scoring, forward T.J. Warren added 23 key bench points in 27 minutes. Warren, who had been sidelined the last two seasons because of a left foot stress fracture, has been a valuable acquisition for the Nets, who signed him as a free-agent last July.
After firing Nash in early November and naming assistant Jacque Vaughn as the new head coach, the Nets have found a healthy balance. “Today is today. The most important part of today is we’re trying to win this ball game,” said Vaughn expressing a reason for the Nets’ turnaround after they began this season 1-5. “It’s about basketball.”
They play the Charlotte Hornets on the road Saturday night, host the San Antonio Spurs in Brooklyn on Monday, then are away next Wednesday to face the Chicago Bulls.
