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USA Today Sports Media Group
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Sport
HoopsHype

Kevin Durant moves up to No. 8 in all-time playoff scoring list past Jerry West

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Kristian Winfield @Krisplashed
KD just hit a shot over both Marcus Smart and Al Horford. Durant is now 2-of-8 from the field for 7 points. That shot might get him going. – 4:31 PM
Adam Himmelsbach @AdamHimmelsbach
Celtics caught a break in foul city there. Horford fouled KD but it went to Smart. Theis already has 3 and would’ve been Horford’s third. – 4:31 PM
Kristian Winfield @Krisplashed
Nets holding a 41-40 lead at the 6:41 mark of the 2nd quarter. Timeout, Celtics. Kyrie Irving has come alive but Kevin Durant is just 1-7 for 4 points. 28 so far from players not named KD or Kyrie. Same for BOS: 40 from players not named Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown. Horford: 12 – 4:27 PM
Jay King @ByJayKing
Daniel Theis picks up his third. Kyrie to the line for three. He hits them all – and the Celtics lose the non-Durant minutes at the beginning of the second quarter. – 4:23 PM
John Karalis @John_Karalis
No Durant on the floor has been a disaster for Brooklyn … C’s need to capitalize on this stretch – 4:18 PM
Steve Popper @StevePopper
Kyrie and KD combine to shoot 1-for-8 from the field and turn it over 5 times and the Nets are down just 1 after the first quarter. – 4:16 PM
Keith Smith @KeithSmithNBA
Celtics lead 29-28 after one
Horford – 10 points
Grant – 7 points
Tatum – 4 points, 4 assists
Celtics – 40.9% FGs
Celtics – 4-9 threes
Celtics – 4 TOs
Curry – 9 points
Drummond – 6 points
Durant – 4 points
Irving – 4 points
Nets – 50% FGs
Nets – 1-4 threes
Nets – 7 TOs – 4:16 PM
Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer
Celtics lead the Nets 29-28 at the end of the first quarter. Kyrie and KD start a combined 1-for-8. Boston’s defense is legit, but BK appears to have adjusted as time went on. – 4:15 PM
Gary Washburn @GwashburnGlobe
#Celtics lead Nets 29-28 after 1Q. Horford 10, GWilliams 7, Tatum 4; Curry 9, Drummond 6, Durant 4, Irving 4.
18 total fouls. 22 total FTs. – 4:15 PM
Kristian Winfield @Krisplashed
END OF Q1: CELTICS 29, NETS 28
Seth Curry leads all Nets with 9, and Al Horford leads all Celtics with 10.
Tatum: 0-1 FG, 4 PTS
Durant: 1-6 FG, 4 PTS
Irving: 0-2 FG, 4 PTS
Jaylen: 1-5 FG, 2 PTS – 4:14 PM
Brian Lewis @NYPost_Lewis
If you would’ve told me the #Nets would have seven turnovers and get 1-of-6 shooting from KD after one, I’d think they were in a big hole. They trail just 29-28 after holding the #Celtics to .409 from the floor. – 4:14 PM
Adam Himmelsbach @AdamHimmelsbach
In addition to all the fouls, Tatum, Jaylen, Kyrie and KD were a combined 2 for 14 in that first quarter. – 4:13 PM
Ajayi Browne @ajayibrowne
End of 1st QTR: Nets 28, Celtics 29
Seth Curry (9 PTS), Andre Drummond (6 PTS), Kevin Durant (4 PTS) & the Nets have already turned over the ball 7 times. Durant has 3 of them. Brooklyn is also shooting it at only 25% from three so far. – 4:13 PM
Nate Duncan @NateDuncanNBA
Horford gave KD a nice little forearm to prevent him from helping on the Williams dunk – 4:09 PM
Marc J. Spears @MarcJSpears
With his first four points of the afternoon, Nets say Kevin Durant (4,458 points) has moved past Jerry West (4,457 points) into eighth place on the NBA’s all-time playoff scoring list.
Next up: Karl Malone (4,761 points). – 4:07 PM
Kristian Winfield @Krisplashed
The Nets have not played a particularly good opening 9 minutes, but we have a tie game in Boston, 21-21. The Nets have turned the ball over 7 times so far, Kevin Durant is 1-of-4 and Kyrie Irving is 0-2 with 4 points at the foul line.
Yet we’re tied. – 4:03 PM
Krishna Narsu @knarsu3
Curry carrying KD again – 4:01 PM
Mark Murphy @Murf56
Celtics have had great success digging in on Durant, who has three turnovers, all via strips. – 4:01 PM
Kristian Winfield @Krisplashed
Kevin Durant (3) and Kyrie Irving (2) have 5 of the Nets’ 7 turnovers in the first quarter. Bruce Brown has the other 2. – 4:00 PM
David Thorpe @coachthorpe
Amazing teams still don’t fake KD inside. His timing is too good otherwise. – 3:59 PM
Brian Mahoney @briancmahoney
Celtics are making Kevin Durant look jittery with the ball. That’s how good that defense is. – 3:58 PM
Dave Early @DavidEarly
This isn’t even close to the way Kevin Durant has been officiated this season. He must be really surprised. – 3:58 PM
Gary Washburn @GwashburnGlobe
Durant is barking at officials, feels like he’s been fouled about four times already. #Celtics #Nets3:58 PM
Keith Smith @KeithSmithNBA
It gets Grant two free throws, but we don’t need the foul called on KD out there. Didn’t impact the play in the slightest. Let them play a little please. – 3:57 PM
Jared Weiss @JaredWeissNBA
Boston’s defensive adjustments so far:
– Everyone in the area of KD and Kyrie is sinking off their man to help contest their pull ups
– High pressure on the ball handler in transition to draw the screens above the arc
– JT going for steals aggressively
– Switching up on Kyrie – 3:55 PM
Nick Friedell @NickFriedell
A lot of fouls early in Boston — both of these teams are playing tight. Brown and Curry each have two already. Celtics doing a solid job on KD to start. He’s seeing bodies everywhere he goes. Nets have four turnovers and haven’t found any rhythm yet. – 3:52 PM
NBA Kicks @NBAKicks
A new Nike KD 15 colorway for the postseason! #NBAKicks pic.twitter.com/sURMjzPFWG3:45 PM
Kristian Winfield @Krisplashed
Moments away from tipoff at TD Garden, where No. 2 Celtics and No. 7 Nets are about to start Game 1 of the first round. This series is a toss-up. Nets have KD & Kyrie. Celtics have the league’s best defense, a Coach of the Year candidate, & a star in Tatum. Updates to come. – 3:35 PM
Nick DePaula @NickDePaula
Miami Heat’s #NBAPlayoffs kicks for Game 1:
• PJ Tucker – AJ 11 IE
• Tyler Herro – Nike GT Cut
• Duncan Robinson – Nike KD 14
• Coach Spo – AJ 3 “Cyber Monday” pic.twitter.com/AsJpPXguIC3:19 PM
Sean Grande @SeanGrandePBP
Nets at Celtics– TD Garden – April 17, 2022 – Game 1 Starters
Boston – Smart, Brown, Tatum, Horford, Theis
Brooklyn – Kyrie Irving, Seth Curry, Bruce Brown, Kevin Durant, Andre Drummond
OUT: Boston: R. Williams Brooklyn: Simmons, Harris pic.twitter.com/JRkGkJnxw93:04 PM
Keith Smith @KeithSmithNBA
Celtics starters this afternoon:
Daniel Theis
Al Horford
Jayson Tatum
Jaylen Brown
Marcus Smart
Nets starters:
Andre Drummond
Bruce Brown
Kevin Durant
Seth Curry
Kyrie Irving – 3:02 PM
Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer
Nets starters for Game 1 in Boston: Irving, Curry, Durant, Brown and Drummond – 3:01 PM
Ajayi Browne @ajayibrowne
The Nets’ Starters vs. the Celtics:
👴🏾Kyrie Irving
💦Seth Curry
🔒Bruce Brown
💲Kevin Durant
🦍Andre Drummond – 3:01 PM
Mark Murphy @Murf56
Kevin Durant once again getting heckled by some – certainly not all – end zone fans during his pregame warmup. – 2:43 PM
Kristian Winfield @Krisplashed
Ime Udoka: “It all comes back to Durant and Irving, so some things I saw last year and throughout the year that obviously I know about those guys. We’ll see what we can do with that, but they’re high-level scorers and they’re gonna kinda get what they get.” – 2:32 PM
Ajayi Browne @ajayibrowne
“He’ll do a little bit of everything.”
⁃Steve Nash on Kevin Durant. – 2:03 PM
Keith Smith @KeithSmithNBA
My guess is that Boston opens possessions like this to start the game:
Smart – Irving
Brown – Durant
Tatum – Curry
Theis – Brown
Horford – Drummond
That will allow them to have Theis play the Rob Williams role as a roamer/helper. But, as always, Boston will switch everything. – 12:56 PM
StatMuse @statmuse
#StatMuseSunday
Combined PPG in last 10 games:
56.3 — KD/Kyrie
55.8 — Jayson/Jaylen
Which duo will score more today? And what’s their combined points?
$150 https://t.co/gd8GLxQrlo voucher to the winning guess. pic.twitter.com/ks45SRSVKu12:01 PM
Sean Grande @SeanGrandePBP
Celtics-Nets doesn’t need any statistical support to make it the most compelling first round series.
Of course it already is.
But just in case, since Kevin Durant’s return in early March, Boston and Brooklyn have been, by a wide margin, the two best teams in the East. pic.twitter.com/GOWWxJBqxS2:09 AM
Nick DePaula @NickDePaula
Raptors’ #NBAPlayoffs kicks in Game 1:
• Fred VanVleet – FVV logo print Li-Ning Speed 8
• Chris Boucher – Puma RS-X Mid
• Gary Trent Jr – Adidas Harden 4
• Pascal Siakam – Nike KD 13 pic.twitter.com/gJTps5Osbz8:45 PM
Brian Lewis @NYPost_Lewis
#Nets‘ Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving brace for tough #Celtics‘ defensive test nypost.com/2022/04/16/cel… via @nypostsports8:15 PM

More on this storyline

Jorge Sierra: Best playoff scoring debuts ever 1. Luka Doncic 42 points 2. John Williamson: 38 3. George Mikan 37 4. ANTHONY EDWARDS: 36 -via Twitter @hoopshype / April 17, 2022
Trae Young: “Lead the League in scoring, but look at my Assist” ❄️🙏🏽❣️💯 -via Twitter @TheTraeYoung / April 11, 2022

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