Kevin Durant scores a massive triple-double with just half of his squad to win an overtime game against the Raptors and NBA experts have him as their MVP already.
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The Brooklyn Nets were short of more than half a dozen players due to the NBA’s health and safety protocols when they hosted the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday. But that didn’t stop Kevin Durant, Patty Mills, and some rookies to record the Nets’ highest scoring game this season.
The Nets were just a player scarce of a forced postponement. Thanks to Durant, that didn’t happen. The two-time Finals MVP was only declared active, hours before the game after being listed as questionable with right ankle soreness.
And what a show the superstar put up on the night his former teammate, Stephen Curry, broke Ray Allen’s all-time record for threes.
Durant had a 34-point triple-double which spoiled the night for the Raptors who had four of their starters scoring 23 or more points. And although the “Slim Reaper” had big help from Patty Mills, who had a season-high 30-point night, experts are all-in on Kevin Durant for MVP.
Kevin Durant is Kendrick Perkins’ and Skip Bayless’ MVP
Durant’s former OKC Thunder teammate and ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins has been making the case for KD for a long time now When most experts believed Chef Curry is on his way to another Unanimous MVP, Big Perk was firm on his stance for 2014 MVP. He was at it again just after the game.
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) December 15, 2021
KD has his fans among veteran analysts as well. Fox Sports analyst Skip Bayless was also in awe of Durant’s massive performance and appreciated his candidate for MVP without mentioning LeBron James’ name.
Steve Nash just said forfeiting was an option tonight because they wouldn’t have enough bodies. Kevin Durant was iffy on a bad ankle. But KD insisted on playing, played 48 minutes (sometimes with 4 rookies) and Nets won in OT. Best record in East by 2.5 games! KD MVP!!!
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) December 15, 2021
The Raptors showed some fight in the second half after trailing the game by 10-points in the first. They blew away the 8-man squad of Nets 44-25 in the third quarter. But KD and Mills had some fight in them too.
34- points, 13-rebounds, 11-assists, and a block for Durant, and 30-points, 4-rebounds, 2-assists from Mills meant a 131-129 overtime win for the Nets. They got more than decent support from Blake Griffin, Nick Claxton, David Duke Jr. and Kessler Edwards who all scored in double digits.
The Nets are now two days away from their clash against the Philadelphia 76ers but just one player away from a forced postponement.