Kevin Durant’s 2021-22 season hasn’t quite gone as planned, between injury, internal mess and humiliation in the first round of the Playoffs. But that didn’t stop the Slim Reaper from dropping several cards, including one in the New York derby against the Knicks.
We are March 13, 2022. Kyrie Irving is not yet authorized to play at the Barclays Center but on the other hand he has the right to enter and finds himself in the stands to attend the Kevin Durant festival in the New York derby. That day, and we remember it very well because it was a Sunday night at home, KD caught fire just to show that he did not regret his decision to snub the Knicks at the Free Agency. 53 points, 6 rebounds, 9 assists, 19/37 shooting including 4/13 from 3-pointers and 11/12 from free throws. The numbers speak for themselves, Durant is truly on a mission to get the Nets back on track after a terrible 16-game losing streak in 21 games during his injury absence. The symbol image of the match? It’s when KD trashtalks our national Evan Fournier telling him that he is much too small to hope to defend against him. A few days later, Durant would admit with a laugh, “I don’t like the French since they beat us at the Olympics, I respect them off the pitch but I don’t like playing against them”. Clearly it happened. And he doesn’t like the Knicks fanbase either, so he allows himself to plant a huge 3-pointer in the last minute to tip the game in favor of Brooklyn.
Also author of 55 points in a loss against Atlanta and 51 pawns against the Pistons, Kevin Durant martyred more than one defense last season but this performance against the Knicks remains perhaps the most memorable of all. Isn’t that Vavane?
