Player grades: Kevin Durant scores 24 in Nets’ 118-100 win over Bucks
New York — The Brooklyn Nets welcomed the Milwaukee Bucks to Barclays Center on Friday and won 118-100. This is the second time that these teams have played each other this season.
For the Nets, Kevin Durant had 24 points and six assists while Nic Claxton had 19 points and eight rebounds. Kyrie Irving had 18 points and Royce O’Neale had 17.
For the Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo had 26 points and 13 rebounds as Brook Lopez had 23 points and five rebounds. Jrue Holiday had 18 points and Bobby Portis had 10 points off the bench.
The Nets won this game because of their ability to shoot the ball from behind the three-point line. The Bucks struggled mightily from the three as it looked like the Nets emphasized closing out on shooters.
The Nets also made the offense easy as they piled up assists by sharing the ball and looking for the open man whenever possible. Brooklyn was able to break down the Bucks’ defense and as a result of that, a lot of guys got wide open shots in this convincing win over Milwaukee.
Here are your Nets player grades:
Ben Simmons: B+
Simmons had one of his better games as he was active on both ends of the floor. He did a good job of running the offense and trying to push the pace whenever he could. He had some unfortunate foul trouble through the middle of the game, but he was able to overcome that to a degree by providing some good defense.
Kyrie Irving: B
Irving had one of his worst shooting games in awhile which was surprising as most of his shots were not too difficult. Despite Irving having a tough night on offense, he made up for it by helping out on the boards and finding open teammates for scoring opportunities. Irving did have some trouble defending on the perimeter as Jevon Carter was getting some easy buckets on him.
Kevin Durant: A
Durant showed that he can be a good defender in the post (and overall) as he gave Brook Lopez everything he could handle down low. With Irving having an off game for about three quarters, Durant did a good amount of ball-handling and initiating the offense. Durant was able to get to any spot he wanted on the floor and as long as he didn’t take a three, the shot was going in. He did not get very much of a whistle tonight.
Royce O'Neale: A
O’Neale was on fire from the three-point line in this game. He even had a nice drive to the rim as everything he threw up went in. O’Neale was critical in this game as he provided some much-needed outside shooting and was a big help on defense whenever Giannis had someone much smaller on him.
Nic Claxton: A+
Claxton had arguably his best offensive game this season as he essentially didn’t miss from the field. Claxton is known for hanging in the dunker spot and waiting for lobs or offensive rebounds, but in this game, he showed off his post game on more than one occasion. Claxton got a few touches in the post and was able to make a strong move and put up a post hook with either hand.
Seth Curry: C-
Curry did not have a good shooting game, but he did his best to stay aggressive while on the floor. In the first half, he struggled to find any air space and even committed an offensive foul in an attempt to get something going. He gave a better effort on defense than usual and he found some success driving to the rim in the second half.
Edmond Sumner: C+
Sumner started the game off on fire by picking up a steal right away. Even though he didn’t have the most efficient day shooting the ball, he did a good job putting pressure on the defense and forcing them to make tough decisions. His energy was impeccable and it played a big part in the Nets running away with this game.
TJ Warren: B
Warren had a good game shooting the ball as he showed off his range on some of his looks. Ever since he came back from his injury, Warren has been in the right place at the right time more often than not. Warren also has been giving a great effort on defense and tonight was no different.
Yuta Watanabe: C
Watanabe did not have a huge game on offense, but he was able to make some timely plays when it was needed. He had some trouble guarding some of the Bucks’ bigger players, but his energy played a part in keeping the Nets with a sizable lead at all times.
