In a battle of NBA superstars, Kevin Durant outshined a great performance from Giannis Antetokounmpo in Game 5 between the Nets and Bucks.
If you missed last night’s Game 5 between the Nets and Bucks, you missed an all-time playoff performance by Kevin Durant who finished with 49 points, 17 rebounds, and 10 assists while playing all 48 minutes.
Trailing by 16 points at halftime, Durant almost single-handedly willed Brooklyn to a 114-108 victory. The Nets were without Kyrie Irving (ankle), and got little production from James Harden (hamstring) who returned to action for the first time since the first minute of Game 1 in this series.
Durant finished his night shooting 16-for-23 from the field, and 4-for-9 from 3-point range en route to recording his second career playoff triple-double. Among those on hand to witness the greatness of Durant was his opponent, Giannis Antetotkounmpo, who says there’s no better player on the planet.
While Durant made some amazing shots you have to tip your cap to, the Bucks had plenty of chances to close out that game and they failed to do so. Lost in defeat will be the performance from Giannis, who finished with 34 points on 14-for-22 and 12 rebounds.
Kevin Durant got the best of Giannis Antetokounmpo in Game 5.
The difference at the end of the game was the ability of Durant to knock down shots in the clutch, while Giannis and the Bucks struggled to do so.
When you have a team with a superstar in Durant, there needs to be a point of emphasis of keeping your foot on the gas at all times. You give them the slightest bit of hope, and the great ones will make you pay.
Now it’s an uphill battle for the Bucks who need to win back-to-back games in Milwaukee and Brooklyn to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. Lucky for us fans, this could make for an epic Game 6 performance between Giannis and KD. There has been plenty of talk throughout the series, including Durant reportedly saying, “Don’t you ever compare me to Giannis”.
If Giannis wants to take the title as the NBA’s current best player, he’s got the perfect opportunity by closing out this series over Durant.