Brooklyn star Kevin Durant says that they were too relaxed in their 120-116 defeat to the undermanned La Clippers squad on Saturday night.
Durant was frustrated that they lost their second straight game to a team that the Brooklyn Nets too for granted.
While speaking with the media after the defeat Durant claims they didn’t deserve the win after they went into the game with a carefree attitude.
“We just relaxed too much,” Durant said. “We get up 10, miss a layup or turn the ball over, and they get a fast break, give up a 3, straight-line drive — like coach [Steve Nash] said, we didn’t deserve to win this game. We came in here with a f—ed-up attitude. Thinking we were just going to walk into a W.”
The Nets were without Paul George (UCL tear in right elbow), Kawhi Leonard (right ACL rehab), Nicolas Batum (right ankle sprain) and a variety of other players who are dealing with a combination of injuries and health and safety protocols, as well as coach Tyronn Lue (health and safety protocols).
Both Durant and Nash acknowledged the team’s intensity wasn’t where it needed to be from the start.
“It’s natural when a team is missing so many players,” Durant said when asked why the Nets’ attitude was the way it was. “They’re going through so much over there. [We] relaxed. You don’t think you could lose an NBA game like this. They’re missing how many guys? They’re playing guys that are up from the G League. Xavier Moon came in and hit some shots for them. Keon Johnson, James Ennis — they all made an impact I felt on the game, and I think we came in too chill to start.”
The Nets added to their own problems by turning the ball over 15 times — but it was the lack of attention to detail, especially on the defensive end, that did Nash’s group in.
“I just think [giving up] 71 points in the second half is unacceptable,” Nash said. “We just never really had the care factor. Turned it up, we had a chance up nine, 10, 11 in the third and fourth at different times and just took our foot off the gas and got what we deserved, really. All those guys in there, I think they know it, they’re disappointed of course, but it’s a disappointment for all of us — that was obviously a very winnable game that we let get away.”
Source: ESPN
