After dropping consecutive games in Milwaukee, the Brooklyn Nets will head back home with the series tied at two games a piece. On top of that, they will be without two of their superstars heading into Game 5. James Harden injured his hamstring in Game 1 and has not made an appearance since. Brooklyn also lost Kyrie Irving in Game 4 midway through the second quarter, due to an ankle injury. Without his two running mates by his side, Kevin Durant will have to revive the Nets if they want any shot at the Eastern Conference Finals.
A Tale of Two Cities
After winning the first two games in Brooklyn, the Nets looked like they would coast to the next round. Durant and Kyrie were rolling. The Bucks were struggling defensively and with their shooting. All things were pointing towards a sweep. That all changed when the series shifted to Milwaukee. The Bucks looked like a completely different team at home. In Game 3, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton led the Bucks to an 86-83 victory. Giannis put up 33 points and 14 rebounds. Middleton finally exited his shooting slump and contributed 35 points and 15 rebounds. In Game 4, the Bucks came out playing a physical brand of basketball and the Nets were never able to find a rhythm. They went on to win 107-96 and now have full momentum in the series. In both games in Milwaukee, the Bucks held Brooklyn under 100 points.
Kevin Durant will have a New Role
The injury bug has fully struck the Nets. Harden has not played since the opening seconds of Game 1. Kyrie has a sprained ankle and may potentially be out for Game 5 and beyond. Kevin Durant’s role will have to change. The Nets offense became very predictable without Kyrie. Durant was forced to be a primary ballhandler, facilitator, and scorer.
Durant is averaging 29.8 points per game so far in the series, but in Game 5, he’ll have to take over. He will need some help from his teammates, but most of the burden will lie on his shoulders. He will be put in a position he hasn’t been in since his days in Oklahoma City. Throughout his career, he has had Russell Westbrook, Stephen Curry, Kyrie, and Harden. Now there is no dynamic guard he can rely on. The last time he had to lead a team by himself was in 2013. Westbrook tore his meniscus in the first round vs the Houston Rockets. He was able to lead his team to a series victory but lost in the next round to the Memphis Grizzlies.
When asked about potentially playing without Harden and Kyrie, Durant stated, “I have to be prepared to do everything out there just like I have to do every night.”
He now has the perfect opportunity to prove people wrong. Many still believe he can’t lead a team on his own. In the remaining games of this series, he can prove the doubters wrong. Durant may have to use the next few games to prepare for the next round where he possibly could be without Harden and Kyrie again.
Brooklyn will need more than just Kevin Durant
Although Durant will be doing most of the heavy lifting, he will need some help from some of Brooklyn’s key role players. In both games in Milwaukee, the Bucks decided to defend him with multiple defenders. P.J. Tucker guarded him on the ball. If he managed to get past Tucker, Giannis and Brook Lopez were waiting for him at the rim. He’ll need his teammates to be ready for anything and everything in Game 5.
Joe Harris and Blake Griffin quickly have turned into the second and third best available players for Brooklyn. Harris had a nightmare Game 4 shooting 1-7 from 3-point range. He will need to find his shooting stroke to help support Durant. Blake doesn’t need to return to “prime” form but he will need to be close to it. He has been playing solid so far this series but his production will need to increase if the Nets want to win.
Some of Brooklyn’s other players will need to step up as well. Jeff Green just returned from injury, but he will need to knock down a few threes. Mike James will have to take some pressure off of Durant and act as a secondary ballhandler. Bruce Brown will have to do a little bit of everything. Brooklyn will need some heavy production from their bench. Landry Shamet is due for a hot shooting game, and Nicolas Claxton has been solid on defense but will need to contribute on offense more.
What’s at Stake
It’s no secret; if Brooklyn wants any shot at victory, they’ll need a monster performance from Durant. The fate of the Nets team now lies in his hands. They’ll need to win Game 5 if they want to keep their title hopes alive.
Momentum is clearly in Milwaukee’s favor. If the series goes back to Milwaukee 3-2 in favor of the Bucks, the chances of the Nets winning the series will heavily decrease. It will be up to Kevin Durant to lead Brooklyn to a Game 5 victory. He’ll put up around 30-40 points, that’s almost a guarantee. Brooklyn needs to find out where the other points will come from. Who else will contribute 15 or 20? The Nets need to figure it out quickly before their season turns into a failure.
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