Kevin Durant’s 48-point Game 7 in Brooklyn’s 2021 second-round loss to Milwaukee still sits among the most memorable elimination-game performances in NBA history.
It was the kind of night that can hang over a franchise for years. Durant dragged the Nets nearly all the way through, then delivered a shot that seemed ready to become the defining moment of a playoff run.
He turned and buried a deep mid-range jumper to tie the game with one second left, only for his toe to land inches over the 3-point line. If it had been behind the arc, Brooklyn would have won the series.
Instead, the Nets’ season ended in overtime, and with it went a chance to reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since the 2002-03 season during the Jason Kidd era. A meeting with Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks would have been next.
Durant’s series numbers were enormous: 35.4 points, 10.6 rebounds and 5.4 assists. He also made history in Game 5, posting 49 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists to become the first player to ever log that stat line. Across 12 playoff games, he averaged 34.3 points, the best scoring postseason of his career.
That Brooklyn team looked built for a deep run, but the opportunity slipped away. The following season, the Boston Celtics swept the Nets in the first round, a brutal exit that ended the Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden trio. After that, general manager Sean Marks moved Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers, Durant to the Phoenix Suns and Irving to the Dallas Mavericks.
Durant’s path kept changing after that. The Minnesota Timberwolves swept the Suns in the first round of the 2024 playoffs, and Phoenix missed the postseason in 2025.
The Suns then traded him to the Houston Rockets last offseason, and Houston was bounced by the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round. Durant was limited to one game in that six-game series because of a right knee contusion and a left ankle bone bruise.
Even with all that talent around him in Brooklyn, the Nets never turned that group into a long playoff march. The 38-year-old has acknowledged Brooklyn was the most talented team he played on. Since trading away the trio, the Nets have missed the playoffs every season and are trying to work their way back with Michael Porter Jr., Julius Randle and Mikel Brown Jr.
In Other News...
Nets Fans Will Be Watching One Thing In Mikel Brown Jr's Debut
The Nets are opening the 2026-27 season with a close eye on rookie point guard Mikel Brown Jr., whose debut is arriving with a built-in layer of caution. Brown has been working his way back from an ankle injury, and Brooklyn is expected to ease him into the rotation while he continues to rebuild his conditioning and settle into the pace of the NBA.
Jordi Fernndez has made it clear the plan is to take a measured approach with Browns early minutes, prioritizing health and long-term development over immediate load. For Nets fans, the biggest thing to track wont just be how Brown looks with the ball, but how quickly the team can let him grow into a larger role without rushing the process. [Read more 🡒]
Nets Fans Are Still Waiting For Their Rookie Backcourt Look
The early months of the Nets season have already put a temporary pause on one of the rosters most intriguing ideas. Mikel Brown Jr. is beginning the year off the bench, and Egor Demin will open games next to veteran guard Keon Ellis, even though Brown and Demin flashed real chemistry together in Summer League and during open runs.
For now, Brooklyn is still waiting to see that rookie backcourt take shape in regular-season action. Browns role is being managed as he comes back from an ankle issue, which has limited his minutes, and the bigger picture remains the same: the Nets want those two young guards to grow into a pairing that can share the floor more naturally as the season goes on. [Read more 🡒]
Egor Demin Faces One Big Test In Nets Sophomore Year
Egor Demin has spent the offseason and preseason looking like a different version of himself, at least physically, and the early signs have been encouraging for Brooklyn. The Nets guard has added noticeable strength, and both he and coach Jordi Fernandez have pointed to a more confident approach when he gets downhill and tries to get into the paint.
The real examination comes now, once the games start counting and defenders are set to meet him at the rim every night. Brooklyn wants Demin to keep building on that aggression, but the next step is learning how to turn those drives into efficient offense against bigger, stronger resistance, which is where his early progress will either stick or get exposed. [Read more 🡒]