Google News Kevin Durant identifies problem that has plagued him throughout Celtics series
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Kevin Durant blamed overthinking after the Brooklyn Nets lost Game 3 and came on the brink of losing their first round series versus the Boston Celtics. Durant, who shot poorly in Games 1 and 2 in Boston, was hoping to rebound with a big performance in Brooklyn on Saturday night but that didn't happen.
Durant's field goal percentage wasn't bad but he took just 11 shots and went 6-of-11 from the field for 16 points as the Celtics beat the Nets 109-103 to take a comfortable 3-0 lead in the series. "I was just thinking too much to be honest, this whole series," Durant said, per ESPN.
"Like how I approach the game. We got another game to play, another opportunity, and I'm looking forward to that." Durant thought in Game 3 he needed to focus on finding his teammates and putting them in position to score baskets.
"I feel like the first two games I was trying to be too aggressive," Durant said. "A team that's loading up on me, that's trying to take me out of all my actions. I felt like I was still trying to force the first two games and watching film, a lot of my teammates were open and they were knocking down shots, so I felt my approach to this game was to play off of everybody -- get in the flow of the offense and let the ball move and find me."
Durant thought he did a good job of finding his teammates
Durant finished the game with eight assists but much more is expected from him than just 16 points and eight assists.
"Every team I've been on, you're just trying to figure out the best way to play," Durant said. "When you got good teammates around you as well, you're trying to figure out, I try to figure out how I can be the best version of myself and also not getting in my teammates' way.
Sometimes I think too much about it. Sometimes I need to go out there and just [have] no thoughts in my head and just play. "I feel like I prepared myself the right way. It's a matter of the small decisions in the game that may not go in my favor.
I thought I found my teammates better than I did the last two games. I just need to score more." The Nets are now on the verge of being eliminated from the playoffs and Durant needs to be at his absolute best in the rest of the series.