WASHINGTON (Dispatches) - Kevin Durant scored 49 points as the Brooklyn Nets beat the Milwaukee Bucks 114-108 to take a 3-2 lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal series.
Durant also came up with 17 rebounds and 10 assists to inspire victory after the Nets were 17 points down in the third quarter.
He hit a three-pointer and three free throws late on to seal the win.
Nets coach Steve Nash said Durant’s display “makes him one of the all-time greats”.
LeBron James, widely regarded as one of basketball’s finest players of all time, also praised Durant on social media.
In what Nets coach Nash said would go down as one of Durant’s “signature” games, the power forward played all 48 minutes, shot 16-of-23 from the floor and finished just shy of his play-off career high of 50 points.
It did, however, set a franchise record for points in a play-off game, surpassing Vince Carter’s mark of 43 points set 15 ye ars ago.
He also posted his second career post-season triple-double and joined Hall of Famers Oscar Robertson, Charles Barkley and Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic as the fourth player with at least 40 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists in a play-off game.
The Nets relied heavily on Durant in game five of their best-of-seven series after Kyrie Irving was injured in the previous game and James Harden had a quiet night on his return from injury.