Kevin Durant's Game 4 heroics save Thunder season

Posted by elena brown on June 7th, 2016

The bell was tolling. For this series, for this season, for this era of skilled basketball in Oklahoma City.The Thunder trailed the San Antonio Spurs 85-79 in Game 4 with 11 minutes left within the fourth quarter, and Boris Diaw had just worked more than Enes Kanter as soon as additional. The Spurs had an answer at every turn this time. They had restricted Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, tightened up the openings for Steven Adams off the roll and Serge Ibaka was struggling.The future was flashing just just before OKC's eyes. A loss at dwelling, a 3-1 hole, an elimination game in San Antonio where the Spurs have lost twice all season, a unique loss towards the mighty Spurs, an more failure to attain the Finals, Kevin Durant's no cost of charge agency, the achievable reset of anything that had been constructed. Rome wasn't built within every day, but with much significantly less than a quarter left to play Sunday night, it sure seemed like it was set to burn in those 11 minutes. Alternatively, the X's and O's battle became one certain about pure basketball. Sinking shots, getting loose balls, producing an exceptional save by a much-maligned role player, and above all else, exceptional play inside the two transcendent players the Thunder have constructed just about every tiny point about. The supporting cast kept OKC inside the game via 3 quarters. Their electric point guard and their iconic finest player, the adopted son of OKC, carried them dwelling.Thunder 111, Spurs 97. Let's play no significantly less than two more, shall we?If this sounds dramatic, it seriously is given that that's how it felt. The reality of Oklahoma City's future inside the occasion of a five-game Gentleman's Sweep towards the mighty Spurs was virtually dripping within the ceiling in the Peake. It had shades of LeBron James' Game six against the Celtics in 2010, the type of frustrating finish, complete with all of the star player's person struggles against a defense primed to quit him, that could drive Durant to someplace he felt additional confident in winning a title. As an option, Durant carried them, as he features a large amount of times ahead of, scoring 41 points. Seventeen points inside the fourth quarter on a perfect six of six in the field. He was everywhere, hitting the challenging runner on Kawhi Leonard, creating a difficult layup on (cheap nba 2k16 my team coins) a runout from Westbrook in transition, attacking David West in mismatches and hitting the varieties of shots that make him a single from the game's greats."You got to supply him credit, he was excellent," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich (easy way to see nba 2k16 mt for sale) pointed out. "He was terrific. I don't know how else to say it. He was great." Everybody else is struggling for the most effective approach to say it as well. That's how outstanding Durant was immediately after they necessary him most. It genuinely is going to take games like this for the Thunder to pull off this series upset. After Durant shot four of 12 inside the first half for only 12 points, they required precisely what Durant supplied. You construct a group about two stars, you will need to possess them in that game, in that moment."I just attempt to maintain inside the moment," Durant talked about. "The crowd was phenomenal tonight, the loudest I've ever heard tonight. It is 2-2, got a difficult Game 5 on their household floor, but I just try and hold inside the present."But Durant, predictably, was prepared to defer and credit teammates. know more