Brooklyn Nets beset by foul trouble, waste career-best night from Kevin Durant in costly loss to Atlanta Hawks

ATLANTA — Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant scored a career-high 55 points that included a career-high eight 3-pointers on Saturday night — but those weren't the numbers he was focused on after a disappointing 122-115 loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

Durant was frustrated that his team was «undisciplined» defensively and couldn't get over the fact that they allowed the Hawks to go to the free throw line 49 times compared to just 19 attempts for the Nets.

«We're fouling early,» Durant said. «We put them in the bonus early every quarter. 37-14 [difference in] free throw makes. And it's not 'cause of the refs, it was because we're reaching and being undisciplined and just playing too aggressive. That's the game. They shot 42 percent from the field which is great defense, 31 from the 3. They outrebounded us by two, and one more assist than us… it's just fouls. And we can't do that if we want to be a winning team.»

With the loss, the 40-38 Nets slid into 10th place in the Eastern Conference with just four regular-season games remaining. On a night when they should have been celebrating Durant's brilliance — especially given the Nets were playing without Goran Dragic (health and safety protocols), Bruce Brown (non-COVID illness) and Seth Curry (sprained left ankle) — the Nets were left to lament the fact they couldn't provide the assistance to close an important game over a team that just jumped them in the standings.

«It doesn't even feel like he had 55 tonight,» Nets guard Kyrie Irving said. «You know what I mean? Just the way that we feel about the game afterwards.»

For his part, Durant — who finished the night 19-for-28 from the field, 8-for-10 from beyond the arc, 9-for-11 from the foul line and added seven rebounds and three