With Kyrie Irving out and James Harden still playing through a hamstring injury, the Nets might need another heroic performance from Kevin Durant if they are to survive game seven against the Bucks on Saturday night.
Those who have watched him up close have no doubt that the superstar will come up big and lead Brooklyn to the conference finals.
“He’s been carrying us,” Jeff Green said Saturday. “I believe tonight won’t be any different. He’s going to go out there and he’s gonna play his heart out and he’s gonna put us on his back and lead us to a win.”
Durant looked superhuman in game five, giving the Nets a 3-2 series lead after playing all 48 minutes and logging a 49-point triple-double, but his 32-point effort wasn’t enough in game six. Now, after playing more than 40 minutes in each of the past four games, Durant will need one more Herculean effort to finish off this series.
Anyone who has watched Durant this postseason, and for his entire career, knows it would be foolish to doubt him.
“I believe you guys have seen what he’s done throughout his career and what he’s capable of and what he’s done in the playoffs through his career,” Green said. “I don’t think you need my viewpoint of how I see it. You see it for yourself. The guy has been incredible.”
Durant is averaging 33 points on 52 percent shooting this postseason, and has logged nearly two full seasons worth of playoff experience. He’s far from the only one on the Nets, as Harden has a load of playoff experience himself, as does Blake Griffin from his time with the Clippers.
If Durant can’t do it all himself, the Nets hope their experience, and their home court, can carry them the rest of the way.
“It gives a little confidence boost knowing guys have been in this positon, but they’re all different,” Green said. “You can’t compare any game sevens. They’re all different due to different personnel and different teams, but given that guys have been through it and they know what it’s like, they know how special it is and how precious it is.
“It’s fun. It gives an added confidence to the guys that haven’t been there, but at the same time we all gotta go out there and just play hard and do what we have to do to win.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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