Virtual fans. False crowd noise. An insurmountable explosion by the third quarter. Kevin Durant’s return to the Bay was not exactly one to remember.
But then again, it would never be. The Golden State Warriors hardly look like the team that helped Durant lead to two championships in three seasons. Instead of leading the unmistakable ride across the Bay Bridge to Oakland leading to the imperfectly perfect Oracle Arena, Durant arrived at the modern $ 1.4 billion Chase Center on Saturday, barely existing long enough to paint to dry. . The last time KD wore the Warriors’ Royal Blue and California Golden Yellow was almost two years ago, meaning any prolonged vitriol from Durant’s infamous clash with Draymond Green or his alleged jealousy of Steph Curry has long since dissolved.
If you expected to have all the feelings on Saturday night during the 134-117 Brooklyn Nets win over the Warriors, you did not get away with any of them disappointingly.
“There were not many emotions, it was just a basketball game,” Green said of the first time since 2016 against Durant. ‘I think a lot of emotions usually come from building up to things. There is not much build up in these strange things. stop. ‘
However, it was appropriate if you really think about it. Durant’s Warriors tenure ended with an Oracle crowd as quiet as 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, was not even there – he was at home and recovered after a torn Achilles that brought Golden State’s succession of five straight finals to the finals. The disappointment of a homecoming from the COVID era without fans reflects the disappointment of the sudden end to the Warriors dynasty.
As for the actual game, the overwhelming stellar power slowly and methodically suffocated the opposition, but this time it was the Warriors on the receiving end of the Nets’ basketball Cerberus of Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving. A flash of the third quarter, which was previously a regular occurrence for the Warriors, doubled the Nets’ halftime lead to 26 points, making the fourth quarter a mere formality. The Brooklyn trio displayed chemistry and selflessness similar to those of the Warriors’ historic quartet Durant, Green, Curry and Klay Thompson.
Durant finishes with 20 points. Curry scored 27, but scored only 2-out-9 3-pointers. Green continued his habit of filling the state with six points, eight assists and seven rebounds. All the while, Thompson watched from the sidelines as he continued to recover from the same Achilles injury from which Durant had recovered so wonderfully.
In the end, however, this evening was never about the game. It was about the members of one of the most impressive basketball teams ever to come together, recognizing the glory of the past. A glowing tribute played on the video board inside the arena. Durant and Green laughed at each other as they lined up next to each other during a free throw. Curry and Thompson hugged Durant briefly and safely after the game. These four, along with head coach Steve Kerr, share a band that will never be taken away from them, even if the final season or Durant’s subsequent departure is unsatisfactory.
“I remember a level of basketball that I think has never been reached before,” Kerr said before Saturday’s game. He specifically remembers Game 5 of the Warriors’ 2017 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. “It looked just like the future of basketball, with ten extremely capable basketball players at once and no traditional big men and the floor was scattered. … The level of play, I remember walking away from that game and just thought, there has never been a better level of offensive power in a basketball game than we have just seen. ‘
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 prize.
‘The ability to put so much talent and experience together and make it work, there was no guarantee it would work, and we realized it, and it was an incredible run – one that if said and done, we will remember the heights we have reached and reached. It was an incredible three years. ‘
Everyone has an opinion on Durant’s decision to join the Warriors, with a 73-game winning season in the NBA Series. Debates will rage as to whether Golden State could have continued its final runs, even if KD had not closed with them. As with anything big, we also sit with the nagging question about what could have been if Durant had decided to sign with the Warriors again instead of joining Brooklyn.
But the lesson we have all learned over the past year is that it is unhealthy to spend time on what could have been. Instead of complaining about the inability to get together among friends, we can remember an amazing night and send our buddies a joke about it.
Thompson injured. Curry and Green fight for their playoff lives with an unknown group. Durant tries to start a new dynasty in Brooklyn. However, as everyone showed on Saturday night, it never hurts to remember for a while an unforgettable experience.
“My time here in Golden State was 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.”