The season for the Brooklyn Nets now falls on the shoulders of Kevin Durant.
Minutes into Game 1, James Harden reaggravated a hamstring injury that had given him issues late in the regular season. He’s out indefinitely and there’s no clear timeline for his return to the lineup. Despite that injury, the Brooklyn Nets managed to win the first two games of their Eastern Conference semifinals series against the Milwaukee Bucks.
However, since a nearly 40-point victory in Game 2 for the Nets, the tide has shifted in this series. The Bucks flexed its muscles in Game 3 to get back in the series and after Kyrie Irving went down with what appeared to be a bad ankle injury in Game 4, Milwaukee took advantage of the opportunity to tie the series up.
Now, heading into a decisive Game 5, the Nets’ season now falls on the shoulders of their only remaining healthy star, Kevin Durant.
I’m told Kyrie was in a walking boot and using crutches after spraining his ankle during today’s Nets-Bucks Game 4. Steve Nash says that x-rays on the ankle were negative and that Kyrie will undergo further testing/evaluation tomorrow.
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) June 13, 2021
Can the Brooklyn Nets survive without Kyrie Irving and James Harden?
In Game 4, when Kyrie left the game, it was clear that this was the break that the Bucks needed. Even after winning Game 3, Milwaukee still looked like a team that was in over their heads in this series.
The Nets were overwhelming on the offensive end and seemed primed to take a 3-1 series lead. Kyrie’s injury changed it all.
That moment sparked the Bucks as they raced off to a Game 4 victory. And in that game, it was clear that Durant alone might not be enough to stave off the Bucks’ onslaught of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday. No to mention PJ Tucker getting the primary responsibility of Durant, with Kyrie and Harden off the floor.
If the Nets are going to survive in this series without Harden and Kyrie, they’re going to need a few things to possibly happen. The Nets are either going to need Durant to absolutely go off in the way of a 50-plus point night in two of the final three games, need another one of their role players to step up in a big way, or the Bucks to drop the ball with this opportunity.
Quite frankly, I’m not how likely that is for the Nets. If Kyrie and Harden aren’t able to return in this series, I’m not sure Brooklyn will be able to overcome a healthy Bucks team.
Unfortunately, this was always the big question for the Nets heading into the playoffs. Could this team remain healthy enough for their talent to take over and carry them to a championship? At least for the time being, it’s looking like the answer to that question, unfortunately, will end up being no.