Virtual fans. Fake crowd noise. An insurmountable blowout by the third quarter. Kevin Durant’s return to the Bay Area wasn’t exactly one to remember.
But again, it never would be. The Golden State Warriors hardly resemble the team that helped lead Durant to two championships in three seasons. Rather than take the unmistakable drive across the Bay Bridge to Oakland that leads to the imperfectly perfect Oracle Arena, Durant arrived Saturday at the $ 1.4 billion state-of-the-art Chase Center, which has barely been around long enough for the paint to dry. . The last time KD donned the Warriors’ Royal Blue and California Golden Yellow was nearly two years ago, meaning any lingering vitriol from Durant’s infamous clash with Draymond Green or his alleged jealousy towards Steph Curry was long gone.
If you expected to have all the feelings during the Brooklyn Nets’ 134-117 victory over the Warriors on Saturday night, disappointingly you got away with none of them.
“There weren’t many emotions, it’s just a basketball game,” Green said of playing against Durant for the first time since 2016. “I think a lot of emotions usually come from the build-up of things. There isn’t much build-up in these weird things times. ”
It was fitting, though, if you really think about it. Durant’s Warriors tenure ended with an Oracle audience as quiet as that of the Chase Center on Saturday as fans watched the Toronto Raptors celebrate the title in the last NBA game ever in the building. Durant wasn’t even there, of course – he was at home, recovering from a torn Achilles who unceremoniously ended Golden State’s five consecutive Final appearances. The disappointment of a COVID-era homecoming without fans reflects the disappointment of the abrupt end of the Warriors dynasty.
In terms of the actual game, the overwhelming star power slowly and methodically choked the opposition, but this time it was the Warriors on the receiving side of the basketball Cerberus from Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving. A third quarter blitz, previously a regular occurrence for the Warriors, saw the Nets double their halftime to 26 points, making the fourth quarter just a formality. The Brooklyn trio showed chemistry and selflessness echoing that of the Warriors’ historic Durant, Green, Curry and Klay Thompson quartet.
Durant finished with 20 points. Curry scored 27, but made only 2-of-9 3-pointers. Green continued his habit of filling the stat sheet with six points, eight assists, and seven rebounds. Meanwhile, Thompson watched from the sidelines as he continues to rehabilitate the same Achilles tendon from which Durant has so admirably recovered.
But in the end, this evening was never about the game. It was about the members of one of the most impressive basketball teams to ever come together, recognizing and reflecting on past glory. A glowing tribute played on the video board in the arena. Durant and Green laughed as they stood side by side on a free throw. Curry and Thompson each hugged Durant, briefly and safely, after the game. Those four parts, along with head coach Steve Kerr, are a bond that will never be taken away from them, no matter how unsatisfactory the last season and Durant’s subsequent departure were.
“I remember a basketball level that I don’t think has ever been reached before,” Kerr said ahead of Saturday’s game, specifically recalling Game 5 of the Warriors’ 2017 title win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. “It just looked like the future of basketball, with 10 highly skilled basketball players on the court at once and no traditional big men and the floor scattered around. … That level of play, I remember running away from that game, just thinking, there’s never been a better level of attacking power in a basketball game than what we just saw. ”
Curry shared a similar sentiment, saying Durants for three seasons at Golden State was “some of the best basketball I think the world has ever seen.” He also appreciates the sacrifice each player has made for the ultimate prize.
“The ability to bring so much talent and experience together and make it work, there was no guarantee it would work, and we found out, and it was a great run – one that when it’s all said and done, we will remember the heights we have reached and reached. Those were a great three years. “
Everyone has an opinion on Durant’s decision to join the Warriors after an NBA record of 73 wins. Debates will rage over whether Golden State would have been able to continue the final runs, even if KD hadn’t signed with them. As with anything great, we’re also left with the nagging question of what could have been if Durant had decided to re-sign with the Warriors instead of joining Brooklyn.
But the lesson we’ve all learned over the past year is that it’s unhealthy to spend time thinking about what could have been. Rather than complaining about the inability to get together with friends, we can remember an incredible night and send our friends an inside joke.
Thompson is injured. Curry and Green fight for their playoff lives with an unknown group. Durant tries to start a new dynasty in Brooklyn. But as they all showed on Saturday night, it never hurts to spend some time reminiscing about an unforgettable experience.
“My time here at Golden State was so much fun,” Durant said after the game. “It’s such a great learning experience, especially learning to play basketball and a different philosophy. I’m going to take that with me for the rest of my life.”