Kevin Durant ties playoff career-high, powers Thunder to huge Game 4 win
In the short-term, the Oklahoma City Thunder’s riveting Game 4 victory over the San Antonio Spurs evens the series and ensures they’ll have a realistic shot at knocking off the Spurs.
From a broader perspective, considering Kevin Durant’s impending free agency, it’s impossible to know just how significant Sunday’s 111-97 win really was. Durant, who scored 41 points with 29 coming in the second half, played a pivotal role, and if his energy and passion were any indication of his mindset, he seemed extremely content with his current set-up.
With his mom sitting courtside, he drained clutch three-pointers as the Thunder pulled away down the stretch and implored the fans to scream. He encouraged his teammates with trusting assists even as he was racking up enough points to tie his playoff career-high. Normally reserved, Durant couldn't help but jump up and celebrate after yet another three-pointer as the Thunder outscored the Spurs 34-16 in the fourth quarter
The Thunder's 32 points in the third quarter had been the most Oklahoma City scored in any quarter of the series — until the fourth. And still their success came with reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year Kawhi Leonard swiping passes in the lane and Tony Parker confounding Russell Westbrook on the defensive end.
Westbrook didn't have the eye-popping stats he's capable of, finishing just 5-of-18 from the field with 14 points. But his 15 assists catalyzed the Thunder offense, often leading to easy transition points that utilized the Thunder's inherent advantages.
"They're the best defense in the league," Durant said. "We gotta move our bodies and use our athleticism."
The Spurs shot 47% from the field and had three players finish with at least 20 points. They struggled from three-point range, but those offensive numbers, coupled with their typically impenetrable defense, would normally yield a victory. Parker had 22, Leonard had 20 and LaMarcus Aldridge finished with 20, but the Thunder wrenched the game from the Spurs' hands by speeding up the pace in the second half.
It wasn't surprising to hear Durant sing his praises after so many have criticized his shot selection.Aside from Durant, the Thunder got 16 points and 11 rebounds from center Steven Adams and 11 points and eight rebounds from his frontcourt partner Enes Kanter. But the biggest contributions came from much-maligned guard Dion Waiters, who had 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting.
"I always got confidence in (my teammates), no matter what," he said. "Dion has a lot of pride. He wanted to come out and show the world what he can do."
Sunday’s game carried all kinds of implications for the Thunder. They could hardly afford to go down 3-1, having blown two chances in Oklahoma City. That's no longer on the table, and instead, the Thunder can turn their attention to Game 5 on Tuesday in San Antonio because this Western Conference semifinal has boiled down to a best-of-3 between two of the NBA's powers.
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