NBA: Durant scoring streak rolls on as Nets sink Knicks in new head coach Vaughn’s first game
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Jacque Vaughn has been an assistant coach for seven seasons and also had a short stint as head coach in the 2019-2020 campaign.
PHOTO: AFP
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NEW YORK – Kevin Durant extended his 25-point streak with a triple double as the Brooklyn Nets launched Jacque Vaughn’s reign as head coach with a 112-85 rout of the New York Knicks on Wednesday.
Durant, 34, gave the Brooklyn fans some respite from recent off-court drama with a superb performance, scoring 29 points with 12 rebounds and 12 assists at the Barclays Centre.
He has scored at least 25 points in each of Brooklyn’s 12 games since the start of the season – the longest streak since Michael Jordan opened the 1988-1989 campaign with 16 games of 25 points or more per game.
More significantly, Durant’s latest dominant performance ensured a smooth start to Vaughn’s tenure as head coach.
Vaughn took over as interim coach last week after the sacking of Steve Nash
“I just liked how we were all on the same page,” Durant told ESPN after the win. “I’m only as good as my teammates, so them setting me up, helping me out on defence, helping me rebound – it’s a team effort helping to get me going.”
Durant was also happy to have helped deliver a win for Vaughn that saw the Nets improve to 5-7. “He’s been around this group for a while, been around this organisation for a while, so he understands us,” Durant said.
Besides the dismissal of Nash, the Nets have also been buffeted by controversy surrounding Kyrie Irving, who was suspended by the club last week after posting a link to an anti-Semitic film on social media.
Vaughn said the Nets “came out with the right mindset’’.
“That first group established our will, we picked up full court, really tried to put an imprint on the game. Kevin’s job of getting the group going, his ability to be a hub for us, rebound for us, come up with a triple-double, set the tone and was pretty impressive,” he added.
Nets general manager Sean Marks said on Tuesday that Vaughn was the “clear-cut best person to lead our group moving forward”.
“He has proven ability to get the best out of our players, hold them accountable and play a cohesive, team-first style of basketball,” Marks said.
The Nets had won two and lost two during Vaughn’s four games in charge since taking over on an interim basis last week. The 47-year-old has been an assistant coach at Brooklyn for seven seasons and also had a short stint as head coach in the 2019-2020 campaign. Before that, he was Orlando Magic coach from 2012 to 2015. AFP
