Kevin Durant Wins NBA Scoring Title Due To Kobe Bryant's Inactivity For Lakers

Kevin Durant had one man who could challenge him for the NBA scoring title for the 2011-12 season. Apparently that man won’t even bother trying.

With the announcement that Kobe Bryant will not be playing in tonight’s last regular season game for the Los Angeles Lakers, Durant has officially won the NBA scoring title with 28 points per game. Kobe would need 38 to defeat him.

“It’s not a challenge for me to score 38 points, you know? If that’s the benchmark, that’s all you need to do, that’s not really hard to do that,” Bryant told ESPNLosAngeles.com after beating his teammates in a raucous half-court shot competition at shootaround on Thursday. "The biggest thing, most important thing for me is setting the tone for our team. Our young guys have been very supportive for us all year and it’s important for them to get out and perform as well, for us to be there to support them.

“The scoring title is not that important. We know I can do it. We know I can go out and score 38 points. The most important thing is sending the right message to the group, which is putting a championship above all else. That means rest. That means letting other guys play. That means us getting ready for Sunday [for the playoff opener].”

It’s another feather in the future cap for Kevin Durant as he builds his case for one of the game’s greatest of all time. For Kobe, he definitely didn’t need that title to help or hurt his cause one way or another.

For more on the Oklahoma City Thunder, check out Welcome To Loud City

Thunder Vs. Nuggets Final Score: Denver Defeats Oklahoma City, 106-101

The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Denver Nuggets battled down to the wire tonight but it was the Nuggets who came away with the victory over Thunder in their season finale with a final score of 106-101.

Oklahoma City was down 101-104 with the 11 seconds to go in the fourth quarter when Derek Fisher took a three-point shot to tie the game. But Fisher's shot missed and Denver secured the rebound with the Thunder fouling and the Nuggets Ty Lawson went to the line and knocked down a free throw to secure the victory.

Kevin Durant finished with 32 points and Russell Westbrook finished with 30 points, but it wouldn't be enough for Oklahoma City. For Denver, Ty Lawson finished with 25 points, five rebounds and four assists and Arron Afflalo had 15 points and 6 rebounds.

For more on the Oklahoma City Thunder, check out Welcome To Loud City. Denver Nuggets news and info can be found at Denver Stiffs, and all your NBA info is available at SB Nation's NBA page.

Thunder Vs. Nuggets Score Update: Nuggets Lead Thunder 64-58 At The Half

The Oklahoma City Thunder found themselves down at halftime to the Denver Nuggets, 64-58 through the first 24 minutes of action. in and up-and-down affair, the Nuggets went into halftime with the advantage as momentum is on their side.

Kevin Durant and Russel Westbrook lead the Thunder in scoring with 20 and 18 points respectively while Durant also lead the team in rebounding with four. Derek Fisher and Daequan Cook also contributed off the bench. For Denver, Ty Lawson lead the team in scoring with 13 points and Danilo Gallinari had 12 points.

The Thunder will look to pick up the pace and try to get back into the game in the second half. Stay tuned for further updates.

For more on the Oklahoma City Thunder, check out Welcome To Loud City. Denver Nuggets news and info can be found at Denver Stiffs, and all your NBA info is available atSB Nation's NBA page.

Thunder Vs. Nuggets: Game Preview, TV Info And More

The Oklahoma City Thunder have wrapped up the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, but Kevin Durant's scoring title is still on the line in the final week of the season.