The 2014 MVP had an all-time great performance in Game 5 and was expected to come out with the same mentality in the closeout game on Thursday.
However, Kevin Durant said that he wasn’t even trying to duplicate his 49-point, 17-rebound and 10-assist outing and was more focused on playing the right way.
Though the Brooklyn Nets superstar didn’t explode offensively like he did in Game 5, he was still a handful for the Bucks.
Kevin Durant finished with 32 points and 11 rebounds. He wasn’t distributing the ball as much, with James Harden mostly taking care of the playmaking chores.
Unlike Tuesday, where he played the full 48 minutes, Kevin Durant took a breather in the second quarter, which was his first time resting in a game since Game 4. He finished with 40 minutes of playing time for the Brooklyn Nets.
Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets fell short on their runs
The Brooklyn Nets had a couple of runs in the third and fourth quarters, with a five-point deficit getting them as close to the Milwaukee Bucks as they possibly could. However, a 14-0 run by the opposition broke their backs, and it was all over from there.
Kevin Durant complimented the Bucks for not backing down after every Nets run.
The Brooklyn Nets never led and were playing from behind throughout the game. The Bucks’ P.J. Tucker and Jrue Holiday took turns guarding Kevin Durant with varying degrees of success.
Ultimately, it was the star pairing of Giannis Antetokounmpo (30 points, 17 rebounds) and Khris Middleton (38 points, 10 rebounds) who put the Bucks on their backs to take down the Brooklyn Nets.
The series is now tied at 3-3, with the Game 7 to be played at Barclays Center on Saturday.
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