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The Brooklyn Nets wiped out the Warriors when Kevin Durant returned to the San Francisco Bay Area on Saturday night, beating Golden State 134-117.
It was Brooklyn’s seventh game at 130 points.
“We came out and played a great game,” Durant said of his winning comeback. “We had been focused since this morning on the set, and it was a great atmosphere all day.”
Ahead of the game, Nets coach Steve Nash said that while he thought the fight with his former team carried extra weight for Durant, the former league MVP had not shown it.
“We haven’t talked about it,” Nash said. “If there’s ever a comeback game that’s less than it might have been in a normal situation, it’s one where we don’t have any fans, it’s getting closer to two years since his last game here. So it’s not going to have the same – – I don’t think – the cruelty that sometimes these games can present, but I always think it means something to him. “
Durant, who played for the Warriors for three seasons, finished with 20 points on Saturday. James Harden added 19 points and 16 assists. Kyrie Irving led the way in scoring for Brooklyn with 23 points. The five Nets starters finished in double digits.
Stephen Curry scored a high 27 points for Golden State.
During a timeout in the first quarter, a tribute video was shown at the Chase Center thanking Durant for his tenure with Golden State. During his three years with the Warriors, the team won two NBA championships and Durant was named MVP of the Finals twice.
“The tribute video was cool. I think about those times every day,” Durant said. “Every moment that I’ve had in this league, I think about it and try to analyze it and improve myself. My time here at Golden State has been so much fun. It was such a great experience. learning, especially learning basketball in another philosophy. I’ll take this with me for the rest of my life. “
A team spokesperson said the Warriors plan to play another thank-you video for Durant next season, when the team plans to have fans at the back in the arena.
After building a 15-point lead at halftime, a 42-point third quarter propelled the Nets to a 108-82 lead entering the fourth. Their 26-point advantage was the Nets’ second-biggest three-quarter lead of the season, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.
The Nets’ biggest lead heading into the fourth quarter this season was also against the Warriors, when the team led by 28 on opening night in Brooklyn.
The Nets’ Big Three of Harden, Durant and Irving scored or assisted on 100 of Brooklyn’s points on Saturday.
As Durant left the field, he gave hugs and handshakes to former Warriors teammates and coaches.
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