Kevin Durant, James Harden lead Nets late in win over Raptors for fifth straight victory
Nets forward Kevin Durant looks to move the ball as Raptors guard Fred VanVleet and forward Scottie Barnes defend during second-half NBA game action in Toronto, Sunday. Credit: The Canadian Press via AP/Frank Gunn
Kevin Durant turned in another in a string of dominant performances with 31 points on 11-for-18 shooting plus seven rebounds and seven assists to help the Nets extend their winning streak to five games with a 116-103 victory over a tough Raptors team Sunday afternoon at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.
But this win had a special significance to Durant because it was with Golden State in Game 5 of the 2019 finals that he ruptured his right Achilles tendon on this same floor, a career-threatening injury that forced him to miss the entire 2019-20 season. Durant looked as good as ever as he recorded his third straight game with at least 25 points, five rebounds and five assists and his fourth 30-point game in 10 played by the Nets (7-3).
"I didn’t think about this [being] the scene of the catastrophe, so to speak," Nets coach Steve Nash said when asked to measure Durant’s progress since his return last season. "Like we’ve said since Day 1, he’s been unbelievable this season on both ends of the floor, rebounding, scoring and facilitating. I think we can make things a little bit easier for him at times as we figure out how to find this identity that we’re pushing them for."
The Raptors built a 60-53 halftime lead, but for the second straight game, the Nets staged a brilliant third-quarter performance. They had runs of 9-0 and 13-3 and finished with an 11-2 burst for an 88-77 lead. Overall, the Nets outscored the Raptors 35-17 in the period, including 13 points from Durant.
After the game Durant was asked if he was thinking about his injury when he took the floor, and he said he was more worried about the defensive schemes Raptor coach Nick Nurse would throw at him. But he admitted the win was special.
"I love playing in Toronto," Durant said. "The fans have been amazing to me. The last time I was here was one of my lowest moments as a basketball player, but it’s good to come back here and play and see the fans and get a ‘W.’"
The Raptors pulled within seven points of the Nets late in the fourth period, but James Harden hit a pair of three-pointers in an 8-0 surge for a 111-96 lead with 3:17 left.
Harden scored 16 of his 28 points in the final quarter and added 10 rebounds and eight assists, and Blake Griffin added 14 points and 11 rebounds. Fred Van Vleet topped the Raptors (6-5) with 21 points and OG Anunoby had 16, but they shot just 23.3% from three-point range (7-for-30) compared to a 17-for-38 performance by the Nets (44.7%).
Describing the adjustments that produced the third-quarter turnaround, Durant said, "I had seven turnovers tonight from playing in a crowd too much. We slowed that down in the third quarter and were able to get good shots up and we made them. I think our defense was there when we needed it to be and we got stops and made shots. James was special in the fourth."
Durant is the first player in Nets history to start the season by scoring at least 20 points in the first 10 games, and he would rank as a favorite to win the league MVP award if he continues at his current pace.
Asked if he is as good or even better than before the injury, Durant said, "Having an injury like that is going to make you a different player. I just think it’s another iteration of who I am. I wouldn’t try to compare it to who I was then, but I feel like I’m still growing and I’m getting better and I’m in a good place mentally."
Greg Logan has worked for Newsday since 1982 covering a wide array of sports and events, currently including the Brooklyn Nets beat.
