It was another quintessential Durant finish.
With his size, speed, and shooting ability, he really did not need to develop any flashy tricks.
Kevin Durant truly could get by on one tried-and-true move.
Through more than a decade in the league, KD's offensive arsenal had always revolved around the same handful of moves.
Yet those few moves alone were enough to put him among the league's very best scorers.
That was just how overpowered a model monster could be.
Unfortunately, this time, KD's shot failed to sustain the Nets' opening offensive momentum.
Although the contest had not bothered him much, something seemed to have gone slightly wrong with his finish.
The ball dropped toward the hoop, hit the front rim, then bounced up and fell into Hartenstein's hands.
Possession changed, and the Knicks immediately pushed the break.
After securing the rebound, Hartenstein found Chen Xi with an immediate outlet pass.
Chen Xi caught it and accelerated into the frontcourt, then passed on the move to Toppin, who was sprinting ahead.
Toppin caught the ball and drove hard into the Nets' paint.
Unfortunately, with Siakam getting back in time, he could not find an ideal shot right away.
After dribbling beneath the basket, Toppin quickly circled back out along the baseline to the left corner, then passed back to Rose up top to reset the offense.
With Claxton, Siakam, and Durant all on the roster, the Nets Team had made a substantial improvement in rim protection.
Having only just returned and not yet fully adjusted to the pace of the game, Toppin chose to play it safe for now.
On the left wing, Rose held the ball and waited for his teammates to get back into position, then passed to Chen Xi at the top of the key.
Chen Xi came