Kevin Durant reacts to Brooklyn Nets' ascension in Eastern Conference 

Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant had nothing but praise for his team in a recent interview with Yahoo! Sports. Highlighting the Nets' recent winning streak, Durant addressed Brooklyn's subsequent rise through the ranks of the Eastern Conference.

The Brooklyn Nets had a horrendous start to their 2022-23 campaign. With the arrival of some top-notch talent and the heavily-awaited return of Ben Simmons, the Nets were expected to be contenders.

Unfortunately, the team struggled to get things going as they lost six of their first eight games. With major changes following suit, the Nets witnessed the firing of head coach Steve Nash and the arrival of new head coach Jacque Vaughn.

Vaughn's arrival naturally indicated changes on the horizon. Unfortunately, issues surrounding Kyrie Irving will keep the team undermanned during Vaughn's first stint.

In light of all the struggles the franchise has faced, the Nets look like a completely different unit in the month of December. With a healthy roster firing on all cylinders, Brooklyn has emerged as one of the best teams in the East.

Kevin Durant has definitely been a huge factor in Brooklyn's recent run of success. However, in a recent interview with Yahoo! Sports, Durant addressed the media spotlight that turned him away from the Nets. He said:

"I get that other people don’t look at our roster as a championship roster, but when we get wins the way we get wins, you gotta pay attention to that."

"When Kai [Kyrie Irving] and Ben [Simmons] didn’t play, we beat teams by [nearly] 40 points. Any other team, it’s, ‘Hold on, what they doing over there? They take us for granted, me and Kai especially. We gotta jump through a Hula-Hoop of fire to be impressed."

Building on his take on the lack of attention given to the team, Durant also addressed the culture in New York itself. Given the city and its culture's inclination towards negativity, Durant mentioned that facing criticism for failure in New York was something he expected.

However, considering their recent success, the Nets have displayed a refreshing brand of basketball that is hard to criticize. Looking at the current situation, Durant concluded on a positive note by saying:

"I look at it simple: We get up every day, we’re healthy for the most part. And we grind. So whatever comes from that, we accept. We’re putting the right foot forward to go out there and be a team. We’re not where [we] want to be, but I like the direction we’re in."

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Kevin Durant leads the Brooklyn Nets' charge past the Cavaliers

The Brooklyn Nets extended their winning streak to nine games as they rolled past the Cleveland Cavaliers in a 125-117 win. With the Nets' superstar pair combining for 30+ points each, Brooklyn appears to be nigh unstoppable at the moment.

Brooklyn played some tremendous basketball on Monday night. With an offensive charge led by Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the Nets stunned the league's best defensive team.

Kevin Durant notched 32 points on the night along with nine rebounds and five assists. Kyrie Irving followed suit with 32 points of his own. Meanwhile, Brooklyn saw summer signing TJ Warren lead the bench mob with 23 points and eight rebounds.

On the defensive side of things, Ben Simmons and Nicolas Claxton came through for Brooklyn once again. With a stifling defense becoming an important part of Nets basketball, the team continues to amaze.

With a 22-12 record, the Brooklyn Nets have secured the third spot in the East. With Kevin Durant at the helm, the Nets continue to build towards becoming a title contender.

Read: Kendrick Perkins lauds Kevin Durant on his 2-way performance for Brooklyn Nets: “He’s been in his bag like he got fries at the bottom”