On Tuesday night, the Brooklyn Nets returned home for the fifth game in the Eastern Conference Semifinals playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks, and the game turned out to be one of the most important matchups in the 2021 playoffs as well as one of the most historic NBA playoff games of all time. Kevin Durant played all 48 minutes of Game 5 against the Bucks and notched a record-setting playoff triple-double with 49 points, 17 rebounds, and 10 assists, which ultimately led the Brooklyn Nets to a six-point win.
While KD's playoff heroics can't be ignored, it also can't be ignored that given their one-time 17-point lead, the Milwaukee Bucks should have finished that game strong and sealed a series lead against their adversaries. Many NBA fans are chalking up Milwaukee's loss as a testament of Kevin Durant's greatness, but several NBA players — including Portland Trail Blazers shooting guard CJ McCollum — blame the loss on Giannis Antetokounmpo unwillingness to guard KD.
In a shady and indirect tweet, CJ McCollum writes, "Bruh first team all defense and ain’t go check easy$." Only one of the five players named to the 2020-21 NBA All-Defensive First Team is currently playing a series against Kevin Durant (a.k.a. "Easy Money Sniper"), however, which makes McCollum's tweet an obvious shot at Giannis Antetokounmpo.
CJ McCollum's tweet even inspired responses and discourse from other prominent NBA players, including Bradley Beal, Jordan McRae, and Durant's former teammate Draymond Green.
https://twitter.com/_/status/1404998016860266505
https://twitter.com/_/status/1404998998495137794
https://twitter.com/_/status/1405022859353739268
What do you think — should Giannis have taken up the responsibility of guarding Kevin Durant in order to have sealed a victory in Game 5?
[via]