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Virtual fans. False noise of crowd. An insurmountable rash in the third trimester. Kevin Durant’s return to the Bay Area was hardly unforgettable.
But then again, it was never going to be. The Golden State Warriors are hardly like the team Durant helped lead to two championships in three seasons. Instead of unequivocally crossing the Bay Bridge to Oakland leading to the imperfectly perfect Oracle Arena on Saturday, Durant arrived on Saturday at the state-of-the-art $ 1.4 billion Chase Center, which has barely been around long enough for the dry paint. . The last time KD donned the Warriors’ Royal Blue and California Golden Yellow was almost two years ago, which means any lingering vitriol of Durant’s infamous clash with Draymond Green or his perceived jealousy towards Steph Curry had long since dissolved.
If you were expecting all the thrills of the Brooklyn Nets’ 134-117 win over the Warriors on Saturday night, you sadly came back with none of them.
“There weren’t a lot of emotions, it’s just a basketball game,” Green said of playing Durant for the first time since 2016. “I think a lot of emotions usually come from there. ‘accumulation to things. There isn’t much accumulation in these strange. times. ”
It was good, when you really think about it. Durant’s Warriors tenure ended with an Oracle crowd as quiet as that at the Chase Center on Saturday, as fans watched the Toronto Raptors celebrate the title in the final NBA game in the building. Durant, of course, wasn’t even there – he was at home, recovering from a torn Achilles who unceremoniously ended Golden State’s five consecutive final appearances. The disappointment of a return to the COVID era without fans reflects the disappointment of the brutal end of the Warriors dynasty.
In terms of actual play, the overwhelming power of the stars has slowly and methodically stifled opposition, but this time around it’s the Warriors at the Nets Cerberus of Durant basketball reception, James Harden and Kyrie Irving. A blitz in the third quarter, previously a regular occurrence for the Warriors, saw the Nets double their halftime lead to 26 points, making the fourth quarter a mere formality. The Brooklyn trio featured chemistry and altruism echoing that of the historic Warriors quartet of Durant, Green, Curry and Klay Thompson.
Durant finished with 20 points. Curry scored 27, but only made 2 of 9 at 3 points. Green continued his habit of filling in the stats sheet with six points, eight assists and seven rebounds. All the while, Thompson watched from the sideline as he continued to rehabilitate the same Achilles injury that Durant has so admirably recovered from.
Ultimately, however, that night was never devoted to the game. They were members of one of the most impressive basketball teams ever to come together, grateful and reflecting on past glory. A shining tribute played on the video card inside the arena. Durant and Green shared a laugh as they lined up next to each other on a free throw. Curry and Thompson each kissed Durant briefly and safely after the game. These four, along with head coach Steve Kerr, share a bond that will never be taken away from them, as unsatisfying as the last season and Durant’s subsequent departure may have been.
“I remember a level of basketball that I don’t think I’ve ever been to before,” Kerr said ahead of Saturday’s game, specifically recalling the Warriors’ Game 5 of 2017 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. “It just looked like the future of basketball, with 10 extremely talented basketball players on the court at once and no traditional big man and floor spread out, there has never been a better level of strength. offensive in a basketball game than what we just saw. “
Curry shared a similar sentiment, saying Durant’s three seasons with Golden State were “some of the best basketball I think the world has ever seen.” He also appreciates the sacrifice each player has made for the ultimate price.
“The ability to put so much talent and experience together and make it work, there was no guarantee it would work, and we got that, and it was an amazing race – once that all is said and done, we will remember the heights we have achieved and reached. It has been three incredible years. “
Everyone has an opinion on Durant’s decision to join the Warriors after a record-breaking 73 NBA-winning season. Debates will rage over whether Golden State could have continued its finals even if KD had not signed with them. As with everything great, we also end up with the nagging question of what could have been if Durant had decided to sign with the Warriors again instead of joining Brooklyn.
But the lesson we’ve all learned over the past year is that it’s unhealthy to spend time thinking about what could have been. Instead of bemoaning the inability to get together with friends, we can remember an amazing night and send our friends a joke about it.
Thompson is injured. Curry and Green fight for their playoff lives with an unknown group. Durant tries to create a new dynasty in Brooklyn. As they all showed on Saturday night, however, it never hurts to spend time recalling an unforgettable experience.
“My time here at Golden State has been so much fun,” Durant said after the game. “It’s such a great learning experience, especially learning basketball and a different philosophy. I’m going to take it with me for the rest of my life.”
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