KD has beaten the Knicks 13 straight times.
Kevin Durant was always going to leave the Golden State Warriors when he hit free agency in the summer of 2019. Durant had accomplished everything he set out to do when he first arrived in the Bay during the infamous summer of 2016: he won two championships, and was named Finals MVP in both series. Durant wanted to prove he didn’t need Stephen Curry and Draymond Green to win a ring, and he decided he wanted to change coasts to go to New York.
Durant’s interest in New York was the worst kept secret in the NBA during his final run with the Warriors. So much of the speculation centered on him and Irving signing with the Knicks. Instead, KD and Kyrie went to their crosstown rivals the Nets, where the duo has spent four star-crossed years with so much manufactured drama that it would even feel unbelievable in a Hollywood film. While the Nets have mostly been a massive disappointment since signing the superstar friends, one thing hasn’t changed: Durant absolutely loves ripping the Knick’s heart out.
Durant did it again on Wednesday night as the Nets defeated the Knicks, 112-85. KD went off for 29 points, 12 assists, and 12 rebounds in the win. It was the 17th triple-double of his career. Watch the full highlights here:
He hasn’t lost to New York since April 7, 2013 when he was with the Thunder. His all-time record against the Knicks is 21-3.
With Irving still suspended for sharing a film with antisemitic themes on social media, Durant had the Nets’ offense centered around him, and went off with arguably his best game of the season. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen Durant pass the ball better — whipping skips to the corner, dropping a soft pocket pass in-between two defenders in the paint, and always finding the open cutter whenever the double game. Durant’s shot-making was excellent as always, too. Poor Cameron Reddish must have felt like he was trapped in hell with that assignment.
Durant cherishes beating the Knicks, and it’s a delight to see. Before the game, Durant gave some Knicks fans the thumbs down sign. You may remember Knicks forward Julius Randle giving the thumbs down sign to his own fans last season.
Kevin Durant was booing some young Knicks fans pic.twitter.com/JyeUIGDVv7
— Nets Videos (@SNYNets) November 9, 2022
Durant also talked about how much he enjoys torturing the Knicks after the game:
"If I see a Knicks fan, I'm always gonna give them a thumbs down or just give them some s--- about being a Knicks fan"
— Nets Videos (@SNYNets) November 10, 2022
- Kevin Durant pic.twitter.com/jq0DEKVCal
Our Knicks team community Posting and Toasting is going through it. Here’s what the great Joe Flynn wrote after the game:
The Knicks will probably never beat the Brooklyn Nets during the Kevin Durant Era. I’ve come to accept that fact. The Nets may be an off-court disgrace, but Durant is way too good. What’s worse, he absolutely delights in sticking it to Knicks fans. Personally, I believe he was delusional enough to believe the majority of New York fans would embrace him on the Nets. When that didn’t happen, he became bitter as hell. And he’s been taking it out on the Knicks ever since.
The Nets and Knicks both look like average teams right now. The Knicks are doing their best, but never had real championship aspirations — just making the playoffs would be a solid season for them. The Nets were the title favorites last year only to be swept out of the first round, and they were supposed to be the league’s biggest wildcard this season. The Irving drama and firing of head coach Steven Nash has sucked up most of the oxygen to this point.
Still, the Nets have Durant, and therefore the Nets are a couple steps ahead of their crosstown rivals. KD runs NYC until further notice. It’s been this way for years.
