ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins compliments Jayson Tatum and the Celtics’ defense for locking down Kevin Durant in Game 1
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The Boston Celtics hosted the Brooklyn Nets yesterday for Game 1 of the first-round playoff series. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving made their way to the TD Garden to take on Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. It was a highly anticipated matchup, and it did not disappoint. The Cs edged a one-point win in the end, winning the game 115-114.
The Celtics gave a masterclass on how to defend Kevin Durant. They held the Slim Reaper to just 23 points, on 9/24 shooting from the field. They also forced him to commit 6 turnovers. On a night where KD was struggling, Kyrie Irving yet again put on a show. He went off for 39 points, dished 6 assists, grabbed 5 rebounds, and managed 4 steals.
However, that wasn’t enough to keep the Celtics at bay, as they managed to secure a win on a Tatum bucket. Kendrick Perkins got on First Take today to discuss how the Cs put the clamps on KD.
“Kevin Durant got exposed by the physicality of the Celtics defense!”: Kendrick Perkins
Kevin Durant is undoubtedly one of the best scorers in NBA History. The Nets’ forward has proven to us how lethal he is from any point on the NBA court. It is very rare to see him getting slowed down by the oppositions, but it happens sometimes. One of those times was yesterday.
Jayson Tatum and Grant Williams did an excellent job of containing the 6’10 forward, restricting him to just 37.5% from the field. Today, Kendrick Perkins discussed the same on First Take.
.@KendrickPerkins thoughts on the Celtics’ defense against Kevin Durant in Game 1 👀
“KD got PUNKED yesterday!” pic.twitter.com/hhzU48S1Fd
— First Take (@FirstTake) April 18, 2022
While everyone knows this won’t last for the entire series, major props to the Cs for what they managed in Game 1. Kevin Durant would be looking to bounce back strong, and when he does, it wouldn’t be fun for the Celtics.