Don't feel bad for Kevin Durant, Kendrick Perkins said.
Though others around Durant aren't providing much support -- namely coach Steve Nash and teammate Kyrie Irving -- Perkins said that the reason Durant's Brooklyn Nets are down 3-0 to the Boston Celtics is that Durant has put himself in this position.
"He's the one that chose Steve Nash when he could've gotten Ty Lue," Perkins said on Postgame Live on NBC Sports Boston. "He's the one that didn't want to hold Kyrie accountable since the time they signed with the Brooklyn Nets. That organization moves by the beat of Kevin Durant's drum."
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Kendrick Perkins: Celtics have snatched Nets' soul
Durant isn't playing all that well himself for the Nets, mustering only 16 points in 46 minutes in a Game 3 loss at Barclays Center on Saturday. Durant appeared disengaged at times, taking only 11 shots from the field, in addition to only two free throws. He's had at least five turnovers in all three games of the series and is shooting just 38.5 percent from the field.
But it didn't all have to be this way, Perkins said. Brooklyn didn't have to be bracing for a potential Ben Simmons return if it had simply kept James Harden at the trade deadline.
Boston Celtics
"If Kevin Durant don't push the button, James Harden don't get traded," Perkins said. "At the end of the day, I can understand why Kevin Durant is mentally exhausted, but I can't sit up here and say I feel bad for him because he was part of every decision that this organization has made."
Durant and Perkins were teammates for parts of five seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder, advancing as far as the NBA Finals before losing to LeBron James and the Miami Heat in 2012. So, Perkins is a good primary source when it comes to how Durant operates given their history together.
"You made this bed, you have to lay in it," Perkins said.
Note: Games 4-6 of the Brooklyn Nets-Boston Celtics series will be aired on NBC Sports Boston and can also be streamed on NBCSportsBoston.com or with the MyTeams App, which you can download below.