Kevin Durant is one of the greatest players in NBA history, and he has put in plenty of special performances over the years. Picking the best one can be a difficult task, but Durant has now revealed which was his favorite. A fan on X asked him where his Game 5 outing for the Brooklyn Nets against the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2021 playoffs ranks among his favorites, and he stated it's at the top.
"Probably number 1…all eyes on me, every possession. Passing scoring and rebounding was clicking that night. My all around game was on full display, no distractions."
Durant put in some incredible performances during his two title runs with the Golden State Warriors, but that Nets-Bucks playoff game was when he was at his absolute best. As he stated, all eyes were on him going into that contest, and he delivered in some style.
The Nets looked to be in deep trouble heading into Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Bucks. James Harden had suffered a hamstring injury in Game 1 and hadn't played since, while Kyrie Irving injured his ankle in Game 4.
A Bucks win seemed almost inevitable, and that would give them a 3-2 lead with Game 6 being played in Milwaukee. Even Harden's return for that critical Game 5 clash didn't sway opinion, as he was clearly hampered by the injury and couldn't move well at all.
The Bucks would take a 59-43 lead into halftime, and a comfortable win was on the cards. Durant, though, had other ideas. He scored 31 points in the second half to drag the Nets to an incredibly unlikely 114-108 win.
Durant finished the game with 49 points (16-23 FG), 17 rebounds, 10 assists, three steals, and two blocks. In the process, he became the first player in NBA history to have at least 45 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in a playoff game.
It was just Durant's second triple-double in the playoffs, and it couldn't have come at a better time. The Nets now had life, but that series wouldn't end well for them.
The Bucks won Game 6 to set up a tantalizing do-or-die Game 7. Durant once again put the Nets on his back, but he would come up agonizingly short this time around. He appeared to have given his team a one-point lead with a three-pointer with just a second remaining, but his toe was famously on the line.
So, the game went to overtime, and the Bucks would sneak away with a 115-111 win. Durant had 48 points (17-36 FG), nine rebounds, six assists, one steal, and one block on the night. It was another amazing display, and it's a shame that he ended up on the losing side in that series.
Former Buck Jrue Holiday admitted that the Nets series took years off his life. Holiday praised Durant and revealed that whenever the Bucks looked back on that series, they talked about how things would have been so different if the shoes were a size smaller. That shot could indeed have changed NBA history drastically.
That year was probably Durant's best shot at winning a championship after leaving the Warriors in 2019. The 36-year-old hasn't come particularly close since, having won just one playoff series after 2021.
Durant now finds himself on the Houston Rockets, and he has a pretty good team around him. Will the 15-time All-Star finally get over the line with these Rockets? Only time will tell.
Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us onGoogle News. We appreciate your support.