"I don't expect us to have a great home-court advantage if we're playing s***ty basketball" - Kevin Durant expects the Brooklyn Nets to turn around poor home form soon

The Brooklyn Nets, with Kevin Durant and James Harden in the lineup, got another beatdown from the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks.

Brooklyn faced Milwaukee for the first time at Barclays Center since that epic Game 7 overtime clinching win by the Bucks. But unlike their back-and-forth matchup last postseason, this one was a thrashing.

Kevin Durant was visibly frustrated in a postgame interview following the lopsided loss and the team's fifth straight home defeat. The NBA’s leading scorer was very real about how the Brooklyn Nets have been playing lately on their home floor.

Here’s how he responded to questions about their recent slump at the “Clays” (via Nets Videos):

“I think we all love being at home. It’s just the fact that we are struggling, having bad starts, and teams coming in here with major confidence. We gotta turn the tide. I feel like we will.”

Durant added:

“Our home crowd wants to get behind a team that’s playing well. I don’t expect us to have great home-court advantage if we’re playing s****y basketball.”

The Brooklyn Nets have already welcomed Kyrie Irving with a win against the Indiana Pacers. There are now questions about whether KD and the team would prefer to play on the road rather than at home since Irving will be available for away games.

One of this season’s perennial MVP leaders shut down the question with an emphatic answer. Durant stressed that they are just playing poorly when at Barclays Center and his words are based on facts. The Brooklyn Nets are only 10-10 at home, while they are an NBA-best 14–3 away from their sparkling home venue.

The loss against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks marked the second time they have been thoroughly outplayed by the same team this season. Milwaukee had their banner-raising and championship ring ceremony to start the season before throttling Brooklyn.

Both losses were eerily similar. The first game went 127-104 while the most recent loss ended 121-109. Kevin Durant was incredible in both defeats, averaging 30.5 points, 10 rebounds and 5.5 assists. And like their season-opening loss, James Harden was hardly a factor this time as well.

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How can Kevin Durant lead the turnaround in the Brooklyn Nets home performances?

Kevin Durant's MVP-level performance is not getting enough help when the Brooklyn Nets are playing at Barclays Center. [Photo: NBA.com]

Injuries and a virus outbreak have muddled the reasons why the Brooklyn Nets are only a .500 team at home. Despite Kevin Durant’s best efforts, they are somewhat lackluster in the familiar comforts of Barclays Center. By whatever metric, the team just does very well in road games.

There is a clear disparity in the points scored per game in Brooklyn versus those away from the Big Apple. The Nets score a measly 108 per game in New York as opposed to an impressive 114 PPG away. More puzzling is their seeming lack of effort at home.

They have been outrebounded and have given up more points in the paint at the Barclays Center. With Kyrie Irving playing on the road, the difference could become even more glaring.

Perhaps if Kevin Durant can push the rest of his teammates to treat home games like road games, they may just turn around their middling display at home.