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Durant gives candid take on his Game 1 performance vs. Celtics

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Watch Marcus Smart’s assist to Jayson Tatum for the Celtics win over the Brooklyn Nets

Kevin Durant is one of the best playoff performers of his era, but the Brooklyn Nets superstar didn't play well in his team's 115-114 loss to the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of their first-round NBA playoff series Sunday at TD Garden.

Durant scored 25 points on 9-for-24 shooting. He made only one of his five 3-point attempts and the Nets were outscored by 13 when he was on the floor.  

Despite his lackluster play, Durant still had a chance to secure a victory for the Nets on his team's final offensive possession. Durant's 3-pointer over Jayson Tatum hit the rim and fell into the hands of Celtics center Al Horford.

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The Celtics came down the floor and won the game on Tatum's buzzer-beating layup.

Durant was critical of his play after Brooklyn's series-opening defeat, and he also praised the Celtics for their defensive effort.

"They did a good job forcing me away, helping in the paint. I just have to be more fundamental in my moves," Durant explained. "I feel like some shots went in and out for me today. I played fast and turned the ball over. I just got to slow down and play my game. But they did a good job of making me see bodies."

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Durant later added: "I feel like teams are going to be designed to take away some of my catches and my opportunities. I've been dealing with it for a while. It's on me to just keep with it. I felt I got some good looks. Maybe I was rushing a bit. My fundamentals wasn't down -- trying to play before the help comes and sometimes I rushed my shots. It's about looking at the game and seeing where I can be better individually and shifting my mindset a bit as I start the game and see where I go from there. It's a journey, and I'm looking forward to the next game."

Perhaps Durant's biggest mistake came on Tatum's game-winner.

Durant was guarding Tatum on the perimeter most of the play, but when Celtics guard Marcus Smart decided not to shoot a potential game-winning 3-pointer, Tatum cut to the basket. Durant was caught napping and didn't pick up Tatum. It was a rare defensive lapse in crunch time for the Nets superstar.

"It's a 48-minute game and there are a lot of possessions. Obviously the last play was crucial," Durant said. "There are a lot of plays that matter and affect the outcome. We'll watch it and see where we can make adjustments."

The Nets would have stolen Game 1 and home court advantage in the series if Durant played just a little better offensively. It was a huge missed opportunity for Brooklyn.

Durant will be better in Game 2. He's a top 15 player in NBA history for a reason. But if the Celtics continue to make it hard on Durant by being physical with him and heavily contesting his shots, they should still be able to take a 2-0 series lead heading to Brooklyn this weekend.

Note: Games 2-6 of the Brooklyn Nets-Boston Celtics series will be aired exclusively on NBC Sports Boston and can also be streamed on NBCSportsBoston.com or with the MyTeams App, which you can download below.

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