Kevin Durant propelled the Brooklyn Nets to their third straight victory on Wednesday against the Atlanta Hawks. In what was an offensive exhibition, the Nets prevailed because of their scorching hot accuracy from three, making 22 of their 48 shots from downtown.
Although Brooklyn came out with the win, there was a lack of presence in the interior all game. They got outscored 48-28 in the paint and even got outrebounded 52-42 by Atlanta. In a contest where six Nets cracked double-digits in scoring, the Hawks did not have a chance to keep up.
Durant (32 PTS, 7 REBS) came out of it all with a game-high in points while Joe Harris (18 PTS, 6 3PM) was causing mayhem for Atlanta defensively for the entire 34 minutes he played. James Harden (16 PTS, 11 ASTS) got off to a slow start, but his orchestration impacted the game for every minute he played as well as he secured a double-double in points and assists.
What was also key for Brooklyn was Bruce Brown’s (10 PTS, 2 STLS) assistance in making it hard for Trae Young (21 PTS, 10 ASTS, 9 REBS). The team held him to only 6-of-22 shooting from the field. Patty Mills (14 PTS) and LaMarcus Aldridge’s (10 PTS) scoring production off the bench was also necessary for the Nets to pick up the victory.
After ending the six game home stand on a high note, the Nets will fly out to the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit to play the Pistons on Friday. It will be Brooklyn’s second matchup with them, but nevertheless, it will also be a test to see if the team can win four straight.