USA Today via Reuters
Jan 20, 2021; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant (7) drives against Cleveland Cavaliers forward Larry Nance Jr. (22) in the first quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
USA Today via Reuters
Jan 20, 2021; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant (7) drives against Cleveland Cavaliers forward Larry Nance Jr. (22) in the first quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
The Brooklyn Nets hosted the Toronto Raptors tonight but lost to them in surprising fashion. Despite the loss, the most talked-about thing was the Kevin Durant saga.
Before the game, Durant was ruled out due to Health and Safety protocols. But just half an hour later, it was announced that he is on the bench for the game.
It was the first time in his career that Durant came off the bench in an NBA game. He was subbed in towards the end of the first quarter.
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He played 19 minutes before being pulled out of the game, owing to health and safety protocols once again. Durant was annoyed because of this mess and tweeted his frustration. He initially tweeted, “Free Me,” before going in on the NBA for their PR tactics.
Free me
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) February 6, 2021
Yo @nba, your fans aren’t dumb!!!! You can’t fool em with your Wack ass PR tactics.. #FREE7 https://t.co/78N1iKFAoc
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) February 6, 2021
Durant is famous for being brutally honest on Twitter with his replies, and he didn’t hold back tonight.
What was the reason behind this confusion?
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Durant was initially ruled out of the game because of an inconclusive test for a person he had interacted with earlier in the day. But they decided to risk it and allow Durant to play since he tested negative thrice in 24 hours.
After playing for three quarters, the NBA found out that the person who interacted with Durant had tested positive. So before it could get any worse, they pulled out Durant from the game.
Things became worse for him when they announced he cannot travel with the team for their clash against Philadelphia. The rest of the team got the approval, but unfortunately, Durant did not.
Kevin Durant's reaction when told he has to leave the game due to health and safety protocols after being initially cleared by the NBA.pic.twitter.com/ay3uBs2wyE
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) February 6, 2021
Coach Steve Nash kept his cool but couldn’t hide his disappointment about this.
“It’s tough to lose Kevin Durant twice in one night,” Nash said, during a mid-game interview.
"It's tough to lose Kevin Durant twice in one night."
—Steve Nash to @malika_andrews on the turn of events with KD's availability pic.twitter.com/AxqjWuAyUK
— ESPN (@espn) February 6, 2021
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Can the Nets win without Kevin Durant?
Durant just played 19 minutes tonight, as the Nets succumbed to a loss against the Raptors. James Harden took just eight shots even as the team was losing, and Kyrie Irving took just 12.
The Raptors went on to win by six points, following a season-high 33 points from Pascal Siakam.
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The Nets’ next game against the 76ers will be their toughest so far, and it could end up being a loss for them. The 76ers have been dominant, and without someone to stop Joel Embiid, the Nets could be in deep trouble.
