Win no. 1 will have to wait for the Brooklyn Nets as they dropped their opening assignment against the Milwaukee Bucks, 127-104 on Tuesday at Fiserv Forum.
After receiving their NBA championship rings before the game, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks capped off a historic night with a convincing win over the Nets, tagged by many as the heavy favorite to win the Eastern Conference.
But after Tuesday's showing, Kevin Durant and company were anything but a scary opponent. Nets coach Steve Nash admitted after the defeat that they're nowhere near what their dearth of talent would suggest (via ESPN).
“We weren't very good. If you're not playing at a high level against the champs, you're not going to win.”
Durant had an impressive game with a team-high 32 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, and two blocks. James Harden chipped in 2o points, eight boards, and eight dimes but struggled from the field, missing 10 of his 16 shots. Of course, it's worth mentioning that Kyrie Irving didn't suit up due to his insistence on not getting the COVID-19 vaccine, something that has gotten on the nerves of Nash (or so it seems).
The Nets tried to mount a late surge in the fourth quarter led by KD, but the Bucks were simply too much, beginning their title defense on a very high note.
The Nets can try to bounce back on Friday against another embattled team in the Philadelphia 76ers, who have already suspended Ben Simmons for one game.
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