The Brooklyn Nets are the hottest team in the NBA, and Kevin Durant is the biggest reason.
That Durant is even with the Nets is something of a surprise after the drama of this summer, when he requested a trade before his four-year max extension had even begun, then reversed course less than two months later.
It seemed as if the summer chaos had spilled into the season when Brooklyn began 1-5, leading to the departure of coach Steve Nash. However, since Nov. 1, the Nets have the best record in the NBA at 19-7 and have emerged as legitimate contenders in the Eastern Conference. Friday night, they beat the Milwaukee Bucks, the team with the best record in the league, for their 12th win in their past 13 games.
It has been a remarkable turnaround, led by Durant, who at 34 is playing some of the best basketball of his career on both ends of the court -- and making a legitimate case for MVP. Here's how he's doing it.