By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Kevin Durant made the most of his total of 48 minutes on the court on Tuesday. The 32-year-old forward is the first NBA player to play every minute of a playoff game in three years. His triple-double of 49 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists helped Brooklyn Nets prevail 114-108 over the Milwaukee Bucks, in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Brooklyn is now up a win (3-2) and Durant made history, becoming the first player to have at least 45 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists in a playoff game. The two-time finals MVP stepped up for Steve Nash’s squad when he was needed the most, with Kyrie Irving out and James Harden still not in shape.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was named into the All-NBA First Team Tuesday, paced the Bucks with a double-double of 34 points, 12 rebounds and gave his credit to Durant’s sensational performance after the game.
“He’s the best player in the world right now and we’ve got to beat him as a team,” he said. “We’ve got to guard him as a team. We’ve got to make him make tough shots like tonight. We’ve just got to keep doing our job and hopefully he’s going to miss.”
Khris Middleton had 25 points for the Bucks, while Jeff Green added 27 for the Nets coming from the bench.
Game 6 of the series takes place in Milwaukee on Thursday, where the Bucks are 4-0 against the Nets this season.
Photo: Getty Images