The Nets May Be in Trouble. But They Still Have Kevin Durant.

BOSTON — Kevin Durant had no room. He admitted as a lot. Each time he had the ball in opposition to the Celtics on Wednesday night time, and even when he didn’t, defenders have been crowding his house, shadowing him, draping themselves throughout him like Saran wrap. They have been on the perimeter, and within the paint, and on the elbow. How was it potential that solely 5 of them have been on the court docket directly?

“They’re mucking up actions once I run off stuff,” mentioned Durant, who singled out the Celtics’ Al Horford for “leaving his man to return over and hit me typically.” Durant went on: “Simply two or three guys hitting me wherever I’m going. And that’s simply the character of the beast within the playoffs.”

It was nearing 11 p.m. as Durant provided up his autopsy of the Nets’ 114-107 loss to the Celtics in Sport 2 of their first-round playoff sequence, and he didn’t essentially appear involved. In truth, his evaluation got here off as dispassionate: Right here have been the info, and it was his job to treatment the problems because the Nets search to rebound from their two-games-to-none deficit within the best-of-seven sequence. It heads to Brooklyn for Sport 3 on Saturday night time.

“It’s on me to only end it and determine it out,” he mentioned. “I’m not anticipating my teammates or the protection to provide me something. I simply acquired to go on the market and play.”

Durant is having an atypical sequence. Within the Nets’ loss in Sport 1 on Sunday, he shot 9 of 24 from the sphere and dedicated six turnovers. In Sport 2, he shot 4 of 17 from the sphere and dedicated six turnovers. The Celtics, with their size and toughness, produced the N.B.A.’s top-ranked protection through the common season, and now they’re placing the clamps on the most effective all-around scorer on the planet. It’s no fluke.

“While you’re an awesome scorer, otherwise you’re a constant scorer, you’re used to seeing open house, and also you’re normally shaking guys with one or two strikes,” mentioned the Nets’ Kyrie Irving, who had his personal issues, scoring 10 factors whereas capturing 4 of 13 from the sphere. “However with this protection, these two or three strikes, guys are staying in your hip.”

You will have heard this already, however the Nets have had a turbulent season. At one level, James Harden performed for them, till they traded him away for Ben Simmons. Irving was not allowed to play for the Nets, after which he was — however solely on the highway, up till a couple of month in the past. And keep tuned: Simmons may very well make his debut for the group on this sequence. The underside line is that the Nets have by no means had a lot cohesion.

It will be a mistake, in fact, to rely them out. Durant and Irving are able to doing extraordinary issues all by themselves. However the Celtics are decided — they trailed on Wednesday by as many as 17 factors earlier than mounting a comeback — they usually have two stars of their very own, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, who’ve lastly unlocked their very own model of chemistry. Irving seemed like their publicist.

“I’m not shocked in any respect,” Irving mentioned. “I simply assume the timing is true. Their window is now for these younger guys which might be on this group which have matured. They’ve been by sequence collectively, they’ve been by seasons collectively, they usually’ve been by battles collectively.”

On Wednesday, the Celtics have been prepared for a struggle. A few hours earlier than the sport, Marcus Sensible, the group’s start line guard, made an announcement when he confirmed as much as the world sporting a bedazzled boxing gown with the acronym “D.P.O.Y.” splashed throughout the again. In a pregame ceremony, he formally accepted the N.B.A.’s Defensive Participant of the Yr Award from a forged of luminaries that included Gary Payton, who was the final guard to assert the award, for the 1995-96 season.

Nonetheless, just about everybody within the constructing anticipated Durant to bounce again from his struggles in Sport 1, and for good cause. Final season, he averaged 41.8 factors within the 4 video games that adopted playoff losses for the Nets. Ime Udoka, the coach of the Celtics, was aware of that statistic. He cited it earlier than Wednesday’s recreation.

“Simply understanding what he’s going to return out and attempt to do,” Udoka mentioned. “Everyone knows that.”

Udoka, particularly. Final season, he was one in every of Nets Coach Steve Nash’s assistants. Udoka has institutional information, and he has been placing it to make use of.

“They change all the things,” Durant mentioned. “They’re mainly taking part in a zone so it’s simpler for each participant. They don’t must chase over screens, don’t must struggle by stuff. Simply use your size, sit within the lane and assist.”

At his postgame information convention, Durant stored glancing on the field rating as if it have been a riddle he wanted to resolve. He made just a few observations. He noticed, for instance, that the Celtics had seven gamers rating at the least 10 factors, which was indicative of their steadiness. He additionally noticed that “they made just a few extra photographs than us.”

Options weren’t forthcoming — not but. On the one hand, the Celtics merely maintained their home-court benefit within the sequence. Alternatively, the Nets are in dire straits: They should win 4 out of the following 5 video games, probably. The mathematics is unforgiving.

“To be sincere with you, we don’t actually have time to be disillusioned,” Irving mentioned.

Maybe Durant’s minutes are starting to take a toll. Within the ultimate weeks of the common season, the Nets wanted to scramble to guarantee themselves of a spot within the postseason, and Durant shouldered a heavy load: 42 minutes in opposition to the Charlotte Hornets, 45 minutes in opposition to the Milwaukee Bucks, 42 minutes in opposition to the Atlanta Hawks. He additionally provided greater than 40 minutes within the ultimate recreation of the common season, a 5-of-17 capturing efficiency in opposition to the Indiana Pacers. It was, in its personal method, an indication of issues to return in opposition to the Celtics.

Forward of Saturday’s recreation, Durant mentioned he would research movie. He expressed religion in his teammates.

“The identify of our recreation is simply to play extraordinarily exhausting,” he mentioned.

The issue? That’s the Celtics’ recreation, too.