The Informer’s 50 NBA Blogs in 50 Nights Day 26: Where Kevin Durant Happens

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They were down by 16 points. Their two best players were a combined 1-11 from the field. The referees were blatantly giving the opposing team the benefit of the doubt on every call (OKC had 15 fouls in the first half compared to just eight for the Los Angeles Clippers) and finally they had no answers on the defensive end.

Every way you look at it, the Oklahoma City Thunder should have folded. There was no reason for them to get back into this game. No one would have blamed them if they lost; Hell, it just wasn’t their night. Besides, even with the loss they would still be able to go home to Oklahoma City for Game 7.

But then something happened.

Kevin Durant re-entered the game mid way through the second quarter, promptly made three straight 3-point shots, and all of the excuses were thrown out the window. All of the sudden a sleeping giant was awaken and OKC had life. The 2014 NBA MVP had finally stood up and said, “I don’t think so. We are going to win this game.”

And then for the next 30 minutes of basketball “Sniper Jones” preceded to rip the heart out of the city of Los Angeles the way Michael Jordan used to do to the city of New York. The Informer is not exaggerating; KD gave one of the best big time playoff performances you will ever see.

Durant was able to shake off his horrible 1-7 start to finish the game 11-16 from the field. All in all he put up 39 points 16 rebounds and 5 assists including scoring 36 points in the final 2 ½ quarters. In the words of the NBA Jam announcer, “he was on fire”.

Now, The Informer has been watching playoff basketball for 25 years and he can recall during every one of those years at least one performance that stands out and defines the particular season.

Whether it’s Jordan’s 35 first half points in Game 1 of the 1992 NBA Finals, Jordan averaging 41ppg in the 1993 NBA Finals, Hakeem Olajuwon destroying David Robinson the day “The Admiral” was named the 1995 NBA MVP, “The Flu Game”, Allen Iverson scoring 48 points to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a Game 1 upset over the 2001 Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant’s 48 point 16 rebound game against the 2001 Sacramento Kings, everyone of Shaquille O’Neal’s Finals games from 2000-02, the Robert Horry game in the 2005 NBA Finals, Dwyane Wade averaging 34ppg against the Dallas Mavericks in the 2006 NBA Finals, Ray Allen making eight 3-pointers in the 2010 NBA Finals, LeBron James in the 2012 NBA Finals, everything about the Spurs-Heat series; each year there are always playoff defining performances.

On Day 26 of the 2014 NBA Playoffs we saw one of the defining performances of this year.

Just like LeBron James did early this week (During Miami’s Game 4 win over the Brooklyn Nets when he scored 49 points on 66% shooting) Durant stepped up to the plate and willed his team to an improbable road playoff victory.

It was a win that once again proved there are no teams in the Western Conference that can match the Thunder’s ceiling. The Informer knows he has sounded like a broken record all playoffs because he keeps saying this, but the reason The Informer keeps mentioning OKC’s ceiling is because of games like last night.

Games when Steven Adams plays 40 minutes while providing 10 points and 11 rebounds. Games when Nick Collison and Derek Fisher come off the bench to give good quality veteran minutes (Collison’s three at the end of the third quarter that tied the game may have been the biggest shot of the night). Games when Reggie Jackson is scoring 14 points off the bench. Games when Russell Westbrook is relentlessly attacking the hoop while being a facilitator (12 assists). Mostly, The Informer was talking about games when KD takes over and destroys the other teams will.

It didn’t matter how much Chris Paul and Doc Rivers complained to the officials (every possession if The Informer remembers correctly), it didn’t matter that Blake Griffin was barreling into people with no regard for anyone’s well being, it didn’t matter that the crowd was so hostile that they were throwing drinks at the officials during time-outs, nor did it matter that Durant’s running mate was having an off night with his jump shot (#LetRussBeRuss was only 4-15 from the field, but he did finish with 19 points and 12 assists).

None of it mattered because Kevin Durant was not going to let his team lose. And because he wouldn’t let OKC lose, they are now going to the Western Conference Finals for the third time in four years where they will have a rematch two years in the making with the San Antonio Spurs.

With that said: Do you all want to know what the scariest thing about last night’s game was?

Serge Ibaka only scored six points. Caron Butler only played seven minutes. And again, Westbrook was uncharacteristically bad with his jump shot.

Just saying, if OKC can get a huge road win when three of their top 7 guys are playing poorly, just imagine how good they can be when everyone is playing great.

That is the ceiling The Informer keeps harping about.

The one where Durant goes mid 90’s Jordan on the opponents, Westbrook goes mid 90’s Scottie Pippen, Ibaka goes mid 90’s Horace Grant and the rest of the role players step up and make big John Paxon type shots, or get Bill Wennington/Bill Cartwright rebounds while playing tough defense.

Throughout these playoffs all of these things have happened at different times, but never at the same time. And yet, the Thunder are still winning despite the fact they have not played their best all around basketball. Trust The Informer, if they finally do put together a full 48 minutes there is no team in the NBA that can beat them.

Will they be able to reach that level? Who knows? The Informer sure as heck thinks they can, but that does not mean it will happen. The one thing The Informer does know, for one night at least, KD went to a level only one other person in the NBA can reach (LeBron) and it was awesome to watch.

That is why on Day 26 of the 2014 NBA Playoffs, The Informer is changing the NBA slogan from “The NBA Playoffs: Where Amazing Happens” to “The NBA Playoffs: Where Kevin Durant Happens”.

The Informer after the blog stat – Kevin Durant is averaging 31.5ppg in close-out playoff games. That is the highest average among active players and the third highest total in NBA history. Only Michael Jordan (34.2) and Allen Iverson (33.3) averaged more.

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