Kevin Durant couldn't help but shake his head when Tuesday night's matchup between the Nets and Warriors was called "a potential Finals preview."
"It's just another game," Durant said after Brooklyn's win over the Thunder, his former team, on Sunday. "It's 15 games into the season. Obviously they're the best team in the league and playing at an elite level. But it's a regular season game. We obviously want to go out there and win in front of our home crowd, but we're not gonna put too much pressure on ourselves and call this a finals match. We don't even look at it like that."
Still, the upcoming bout with Durant's other former team will be one of particular interest. The Nets return home from a successful road trip and have taken eight of their last nine games, including three straight. Their 10-4 record leaves them second overall in the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, across the country, Golden State has returned to its dominant form after scuffling in recent years since Durant's departure, with Steph Curry playing like an MVP and leading the Warriors to an NBA-best 11-2 record.
"They've kind of put themselves out ahead of the pack so far across the league," head coach Steve Nash said. "They're playing great basketball, really found a group that has a really strong identity. You can see the positive energy that comes out of that group. It will be a great challenge for us."
The Warriors are back on top of the league after Durant's departure and Klay Thompson's injury put them in a period of transition, but it was a short-lived one. Meanwhile, Durant's Nets have been considered a title favorite since the beginning of last season, so no matter how much Durant dismisses the narrative, there will likely be plenty of chatter about Tuesday's clash possibly being a prologue to many more come June.
"That's a really good challenge for us," Patty Mills said. "It's important that we come out, no matter who we're playing, first game back home after a long road trip can be tough. I think a mental game more than anything is probably the deal for us and what we can control. Obviously it being the Warriors and how well they're playing as a team is another challenge. Our defense is going to be tested…but a great challenge for us to see where we're at and where we need to get to, so we're looking forward to it."
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