Kevin Durant Helps Set NBA First-Round Playoff Scoring Record
Former Texas forward Kevin Durant helped set an NBA Playoffs record when the Brooklyn Nets closed out the Boston Celtics in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
He had some help to set the record too. Durant, along with James Harden and Kyrie Irving, averaged 85.2 points per game in the first round. It’s the most points averaged by three players in a first-round NBA playoff series.
Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving combined for 85.2 points per game in the First Round.
That is the most by a trio in any playoff series in NBA history.
h/t @EliasSports pic.twitter.com/N9J5AZ20nx
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 2, 2021
Durant is seeking his third NBA championship after winning two with the Golden State Warriors, and after spending all of last season on the bench due to an injury. Durant played one season at Texas, in 2006-07, earning Big 12 Player of the Year honors and becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft.
READ MORE: Big 12 Basketball Transfer Tracker
READ MORE: Big 12 NBA Draft Tracker
Durant’s best game came in Game 4 of the series when he scored 42 points on 14-of-20 shooting, including a perfect 3-for-3 from the 3-point line. He also had a double-double in Game 1 of the series, scoring 32 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. He also scored 39 points in Game 3 of the series, which was Brooklyn’s only loss to the Celtics.
Going into the second round, Durant is averaging 26.9 points, 7.1 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game.
The Nets are the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, behind the Philadelphia 76ers. But the Nets have another series to win before they get a shot at the 76ers and NBA MVP finalist Joel Embiid, formerly of Kansas. The Nets must face the Milwaukee Bucks, which swept the Miami Heat.
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
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