San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
No keeping Durant, exteammates from a little love
Don’t send the postgame footage to the NBA offices. Wait — on second thought, send it all their way. It said everything about spirit and brotherhood in a pandemic.
The league recently made it very clear that hugs, or any kind of close contact, are strictly forbidden among the players these days. The “rule” has been conspicuously ignored in virtually every game since, but after the Brooklyn Nets thrashed the Warriors 134117 at Chase Center on Saturday night, the truth came powerfully to light.
As in, screw that nonsense.
The way players are tested throughout the league, they’re pretty sure they won’t catch the coronavirus by the simple act of letting their feelings show. So there was Durant, hugging Steve Kerr and a bunch of Golden State staff members, then
Stephen Curry and Draymond Green — even Juan ToscanoAnderson got a taste, and there might have been more. For all you’ve heard from Durant about leaving the Warriors — and to be sure, his comments have been measured — those scenes said it all.
In Green’s case, the exchanges were particularly telling. Those familiar with the Warriors know that for all their differences, those two men are brothers at heart. Green made sure he gave Durant a quick, tight hug just before tipoff, and they met again afterward. In fact, for just a moment, Green, Durant and Stephen Curry were in a threeway embrace. And why not? Curry put it perfectly the other day. Reflecting on the Warriors’ pair of world championships when Durant played in Oakland, he said, “That was some of the best basketball the world has ever seen.”
Other thoughts on the night:
When 27 points mean nothing: With so much stardom on the floor, Curry badly wanted to leave a mark on this game. He had some nice finishes, but his 3point shooting (2for9) was hardly what he had in mind. So vanished the Warriors’ only real chance to stay competitive. When 23 points mean everything: Kyrie Irving had a wideopen 3pointer from the right corner in the first quarter, and it missed so horribly, it caromed off the side of the backboard. Just when you were wondering if his lingering hand problem was an issue (index finger on his shooting hand), Irving staged a clinic the rest of the game, typically and astoundingly magnificent on his drives to the hoop. Class move, part one: Saturday marked a celebration for the Chinese New Year, and to honor the occasion, the Warriors set up a Zoom connection with James Wiseman, who studied Mandarin in high school, and several students from the Chinese Community Center of San Francisco. Those kids had to be impressed with Wiseman’s command of the language, and he was clearly having a delightful time. Class move, part two: Even without fans in the stands, the Warriors put together a twominute tribute to Durant before the game. It was done strictly for him, and as he cast his glance outward, he saw principal owner Joe Lacob and Bob Myers giving him a standing ovation.
ToscanoAnderson has been getting some play in the national media as a talent to watch, and he had the honor of starting this game. To say the least, he was ready. He drove hard past Durant for a lefthanded layup early in the first quarter, then nearly pulled off a behindtheback dribble on another determined foray before colliding with a doubleteam. And just when it seemed clear ToscanoAnderson is taking a firm grip at power foward, Eric Paschall came alive late in the game with 16 points in 17 minutes. Spirited stuff there. There will be times in the playoffs when the Nets are down by two or three points in the final minute, and has to take a very big shot. Who’s the man? How can you decide between Durant, Irving and James Harden? If they figure that out, letting the flow of ball movement preside over isolations, selfishness and preconceived notions, they can win the whole thing. If you didn’t hear about Harden’s new role this season, you surely get the picture after his 16assist performance: He is a phenomenal passer. Not someone merely trying to distribute the ball, but one of the best in the league. They knew that when Harden played in high school, at Arizona State and at Oklahoma City, before he went to Houston and decided to just keep the ball forever. Still, you wonder: This is a guy who, when the Rockets opened training camp amid the swirl of trade rumors, left the team to go partying in reckless defiance of pandemic protocols. How will Harden react if things start to go sour in Brooklyn? As Chase Center remains empty until further notice, the Nets are about to play in front of home crowds. It was announced that New York state will begin allowing limited numbers at arenas and stadiums as of Feb. 23, which will mean 10% capacity (about 1,800 people) at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. “Extremely excited,” said forward Joe Harris. “This game is just not the same without the fans. Any time you can have even a little bit, it changes a lot.”