Kevin Durant aims to make Lakers pay for double team tactics
Rockets star Kevin Durant ceaselessly discovered himself double teamed in Game 2 of the collection.
Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant lamented that the Los Angeles Lakers despatched double groups his approach from the primary possession of Game 2.
He wasn’t incorrect. On his first offensive contact 65 seconds into the primary quarter, the Lakers made positive Luke Kennard and Deandre Ayton defended Durant.
It was like that for a lot of the sport. The Lakers both needed Durant to take a shot with two defenders on him or drive the ball out of his fingers with a move.
“They feel confident in that scheme,” Durant stated.
Although Durant scored 20 factors within the first half, he had simply three within the third and fourth quarters because the fourth-seeded Lakers defeated fifth-seeded Houston 101-94 Tuesday for a 2-0 lead of their first-round Western Conference playoff series.
Durant took simply 12 pictures – practically six under his season common – and simply 5 within the second half whereas committing a season-high 9 turnovers.
“It’s hard to get into our actions,” Durant stated. “We’re used to teams playing pick-and-roll or maybe trapping me or playing in the drop. But they’re switching, and then just running a guy at me at the half(-court line) or at the 3-point line, or wherever I’m at, to double.”
Durant, one of many sport’s most gifted scorers and the NBA’s fifth all-time chief in factors, is just not keen on double groups. He prefers working one-on-one, the place he has a bonus in opposition to most defenders. The Lakers, who’re lacking Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves due to accidents, need to remove that benefit as a lot as potential.
“He’s the type of player who can take over a series,” Lakers coach JJ Redick stated.
In three conferences this season, the Lakers gained twice in Houston, and Durant averaged 20.3 ppg and shot 56.1%.
Durant missed Game 1 with a bruised proper knee and was a game-time choice forward of the second sport.
How will Durant deal with double groups in Game 3 on Friday (8 p.m. ET, Prime Video)? Durant indicated that he deliberate to take extra pictures and do a greater job passing out of these double groups. Of these 9 turnovers, 5 got here when the Lakers had at the very least two defenders surrounding him. Four turnovers had been within the fourth quarter.
“When two, three people are on me and I shoot, we can get an offensive rebound. … I’ve got to shoot more of those and put my teammates in better position,” he stated, including, “I’ve just got to be more aggressive and look to score no matter where the double team is coming.”
It would assist Durant’s trigger if the Rockets had been higher offensively. They have scored fewer than 100 factors in each video games, capturing 39% from the sphere and 29% on 3-pointers.
“We’re just not making shots to be honest,” Durant stated. “We’re not capturing the ball nicely. We’re lacking numerous layups. I simply assume that is the distinction within the sport. They’re making pictures.
“We’ve played this team before, and they know the way for them to stay in the game is to play this type of defense. We’ve got to make them pay.”
If the Rockets shoot higher, that may drive the Lakers to make choices. But till then, anticipate a gentle stream of double groups on Durant.
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Jeff Zillgitt has coated the NBA since 2008. You can electronic mail him at jzillgitt@nba.comdiscover his archive here and follow him on.
