KD cold again in G2 loss: ‘On me to figure it out’

Nick Friedell is the Chicago Bulls beat reporter for ESPN Chicago. Friedell is a graduate of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University and joined ESPNChicago.com for its launch in April 2009.

BOSTON — Brooklyn Nets star forward Kevin Durant endured the worst statistical half of his career during Wednesday’s 114-107 Game 2 loss to the Boston Celtics.

Durant went 0-for-10 from the field in the second half, the most field goal attempts without a make in any half of his career, according to research from ESPN Stats & Information. After finishing 4-of-17 on Wednesday, Durant is a combined 13-for-40 from the field in the series.

“It’s on me to just finish it and figure it out,” he said. “I’m not expecting my teammates or the defense to give me anything. I just got to go out there and play.”

Durant still managed to score 27 points, mainly by getting to the free throw line, where he was 18-of-20. He said the Celtics are throwing multiple bodies at him wherever he goes on the floor.

“They’re playing two, three guys off me sometimes on me when I’m off the ball,” Durant said. “They’re mucking up actions when I run off stuff — I see [Al] Horford leaving his man to come over and hit me sometimes. Two or three guys hit me wherever I go. And that’s just the nature of the beast in the playoffs. I feel like I got a couple good shots there in the fourth that just didn’t go down, but I see a few of their guys around me every time I get the ball, and so I got to be more patient, but also play fast sometimes, too.”

The Celtics’ game plan on Durant has worked to near perfection as they have taken a 2-0 series lead. Boston’s Jayson Tatum called Durant “one of the most gifted scorers that we’ve seen,” and made it clear the Celtics are just trying to make things more difficult on him.

“It can’t be easy,” Tatum said. “Can’t give him open looks, rhythm shots and things like that. So you just follow the game plan — as best as we can try to make it tough for him.”

It’s a sentiment that Celtics coach Ime Udoka echoed after another strong defensive performance against one of the greatest offensive players the game has ever seen.

“I think we did that,” Udoka said of limiting Durant’s space. “We want to make him work defensively and offensively have bodies on him the whole time and try to wear him down.”

So what can the Nets do to get Durant back on track as Game 3 approaches on Saturday in Brooklyn?

Nets guard Kyrie Irving said everyone on the team is holding themselves accountable for how the first two games of the series have played out. But he said he thinks he could do a better job of helping Durant get more open looks.

“I just got to get him to his spots and make the game a lot easier, and I believe I can do that with the assistance of the coaches and having a game plan to attack this defense,” Irving said. “We’re going against the number one team in defense in the league. They’ve proven it, so it’s not going to be easy, but it can be done.”

It will be up to Nets coach Steve Nash and the rest of his staff to try to find more space for Durant on the floor, but the frustrated Nets group looked and sounded dejected after letting yet another playoff game slip away on Wednesday.

“I think they’re being physical,” Nash said of the Celtics’ defense on the Nets’ biggest star. “They’re up and into him, grabbing him, holding him, all that stuff you come to expect. He’s just been uncomfortable. It hasn’t looked like he’s been able to quite get his rhythm.”

After scoring 39 points in Game 1, Irving managed just 10 in Game 2, going just 4-for-13 from the field. It marked the first time in 55 games together with the Nets that both players shot worse than 33 percent from the field.

“They’re doing a good job of trying to cut off my scoring,” Durant said. “Trying to limit my shotmaking. So two or three people contest, or somebody’s there in the lane when I’m driving. They might double here and there, so they’re doing a good job. It’s on me to figure it out.”

Source: Read Full Article