Another 34 points. Another 14 rebounds. Another great night shooting from the floor, including three of four from three-point range and 12 of 15 from the free throw line. Kevin Durant has been among the best players in the NBA all season, but there has been no better player in the 2012 NBA Playoffs than the star forward for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Last night’s performance of 34 and 14 against the San Antonio Spurs was only the latest showcase, and it helped the Oklahoma City Thunder come back to defeat the San Antonio Spurs after being down two games to zero to win in game six. The Spurs once looked unbeatable. Now the Eastern Conference champs seem to have no real chance against the way the Thunder are playing right now.
Durant is the anchor here. He’s proven at this point he can carry the team at any level. Last night, the Spurs were once up by 18 in the first half, cruising toward a game seven showdown. Instead the Thunder completely owned the second half and won handily 107-99. That’s a 26 point swing.
Check out Durant’s performances in this series alone:
Game 1 – 27 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks
Game 2 – 31 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks
Game 3 – 22 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists
Game 4 – 36 rebounds, 6 rebounds, 8 assists
Game 5 – 27 points. 4 rebounds, 5 assists
Game 6 - 34 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists
In sum total of all six games, Durant shot 49 of 92 from the field for a 53 percent field goal percentage.
As the Oklahoma City Thunder head toward the NBA Finals, the spotlight might shine brighter on other NBA stars if the Miami Heat are the opponent. The talk will be about Dwyane Wade and LeBron James more than any player from the heartland. But it doesn’t matter whether the Celtics or Heat suit up in the NBA Finals opposite OKC. The reality is that the biggest and brightest has already arrived and sits waiting for the next chance to display his talent.
For more on the Thunder, be sure to check out Welcome to Loud City.