Brooklyn Nets beset by foul hassle, waste career-best night time from Kevin Durant in pricey loss to Atlanta Hawks

ATLANTA — Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant scored a career-high 55 factors that included a career-high eight 3-pointers on Saturday night time — however these weren’t the numbers he was centered on after a disappointing 122-115 loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

Durant stated he was annoyed that his staff was “undisciplined” defensively, and he could not recover from the truth that Brooklyn allowed the Hawks to go to the free throw line 49 occasions in contrast with simply 19 makes an attempt for the Nets.

“We’re fouling early,” Durant stated. “We put them within the bonus early each quarter; 37-14 [difference in] free throw makes. And it isn’t ‘reason for the refs, it was as a result of we’re reaching and being undisciplined and simply taking part in too aggressive. That is the sport. They shot 42% from the sector which is nice protection, 31[%] from the three. They outrebounded us by two, and yet another help than us … it is simply fouls. And we will not do this if we wish to be a profitable staff.”

With the loss, the 40-38 Nets slid into 10th place within the Jap Convention with simply 4 regular-season video games remaining. On an evening when they need to have been celebrating Durant’s brilliance — particularly provided that the Nets were playing without Goran Dragic (health and safety protocols), Bruce Brown (non-COVID illness) and Seth Curry (sprained left ankle) — the Nets have been left to lament the actual fact they could not present the help to shut an necessary sport over a staff that simply jumped them within the standings.

“It does not even really feel like he had 55 tonight,” Nets guard Kyrie Irving stated. “You recognize what I imply? Simply the way in which that we really feel in regards to the sport afterwards.”

For his half, Durant — who completed the night time 19-for-28 from the sector, 8-for-10 from past the arc, 9-for-11 from the foul line and added seven rebounds and three assists in 42 minutes — stated this explicit loss wasn’t any extra disappointing given his profession night time.

“Each loss is deflating,” Durant stated. “I ain’t even apprehensive about that, I am simply mad on the loss. I am glad I shot the ball nicely. Made eight 3s, a profession excessive, however I want we might have got here out with a W simply by doing the little stuff. My factors are going to return, my photographs are going to return, however the little stuff that we received to do, we received to be on the identical web page with.”

Like lots of his teammates, Irving struggled to discover a rhythm on both finish of the ground. He completed simply 12-for-32 from the sector and took “full accountability” for needing to do a greater job defensively within the submit and “play with out fouling.” On prime of the defensive points, Irving was dissatisfied that he and the remainder of the Nets could not do extra to assist Durant on offense.

“We simply should ease his burden on the offensive finish,” Irving stated. “He will be Kevin Durant. We all know who he’s. We all know what he is able to, however we have now to be there to help him. And we have now to be there able to play simply as a lot as he’s and never permit frustration seep in in any respect.”

Regardless of the loss, each Durant and Irving stay satisfied that the Nets can nonetheless get again on observe earlier than the play-in match begins in lower than two weeks.

“I am unable to are available right here performing like I am dropping confidence,” Durant stated. “We misplaced some video games and we will preserve taking part in till it is over. That is how I really feel.”

The Nets on Saturday wasted an all-time Durant efficiency in a profession that has been filled with Corridor of Fame-worthy highlights. They could not benefit from the excessive of his private achievement as a result of the low was so low.

“We did not play a superb ballgame,” Nets coach Steve Nash stated. “I am unable to actually sugarcoat it.”