KD Goes Off As Nets Squeak Past Knicks 110-107
Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant is on fire and he is leaving both the New York Knicks and embattled New York City Mayor Eric Adams in his path.
Durant posted 53 points on the Knicks in Brooklyn’s 110-107 victory at Barclays Center, and turned his attention to Adams, criticizing his vaccine policy that has kept Kyrie Irving sidelined for games played in New York City.
“It’s ridiculous,” Durant said. “I don’t understand it at all. There’s a few people in our arena that’s unvaxxed, right? They lifted all of that in our arena, right? So I don’t get it … I don’t get it. It just feels like at this point now, somebody’s trying to make a statement or a point to flex their authority. But everybody out here is looking for attention and that’s what I feel like the mayor wants right now, is some attention. But he’ll figure it out soon. He better.
“But it just didn’t make any sense. There’s unvaxxed people in this building already. We got a guy who can come in the building, I guess, are they fearing our safety? I don’t get it. We’re all confused. Pretty much everybody in the world is confused at this point. Early on in the season people didn’t understand what was going on, but now it just looks stupid. So hopefully, Eric, you got to figure this out.”
Kevin Durant calls out NYC Mayor Eric Adams for “flexing his authority” and “looking for attention” with his COVID vaccine mandate that prevents Kyrie Irving from playing. pic.twitter.com/DB20dUvt6R
— Mythinformed (@MythinformedMKE) March 14, 2022
Irving became a talking point after the game because he was in the arena, not as a player, but as a spectator. Irving was even shown on the video board with some fans chanting “free Kyrie!”
Kyrie Irving is sitting courtside today at Knicks vs. Nets at Barclays Center.
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 13, 2022
Irving can attend but not play due to NYC's private sector vaccine mandate. pic.twitter.com/RbgMjb63Pz
New York City, like many cities and states, has been lifting many public mask mandates, but it has not changed its stance on a player like Irving who remains unvaccinated against COVID-19.
As for the game itself, Durant dominated all around. He was 19-of-37 from the field and 11-for-12 from the free throw line. It took three Knicks to keep pace with Durant’s efforts as Julius Randle, 26 points, Evan Fournier, 25 points, and RJ Barrett, 24 points, kept the Knicks in the ballgame.
Under four minutes to go in the game, the Knicks grabbed the lead from the Nets thanks to an 8-0 run that included a huge three by Fournier and back-to-back buckets by Barrett to give the Knicks a 103-101 lead with 2:57 to go.
Andre Drummond tied the game on a slam dunk some 46 seconds later, and Durant put Brooklyn back out in front when he he it a three pointer with 56.3 seconds to go.
Durant also converted on all four of his free-throw attempts down the stretch to ice the game in favor of the Nets 110-107.
The Nets (35-33) maintain a 1.5 game lead over Atlanta for the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference. The loss drops the Knicks to 28-40.
