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Oklahoma City Thunder – Kevin Durant Kept Getting Worse & Was Running on Empty
A true superstar doesn’t hit only 23.8% of his field goals attempts (taking 21 shots) as his team faces elimination. But Kevin Durant had to be everything for the Oklahoma City Thunder in their conference semifinals series, and ended up without anything left to give in the final two games. Serge Ibaka and Reggie Jackson actually put up the numbers they were supposed to in giving him the helping hand he needed, but it was a little too late, as Durant couldn’t find anything left in his arsenal in the fourth quarter.
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Oklahoma City Thunder – Kevin Durant Isn’t Good Enough to Win Without Russell Westbrook
For about three quarters, Kevin Durant and the rest of the players around him were doing exactly what the optimistic among the Oklahoma City Thunder personnel knew they should be doing in order to win the series. Knock down their shots, and try to hurry up the game as much as possible. At some point, reality hit them in the face. Without Russell Westbrook it was easy to focus on their best player down the stretch, and the guy who thinks he should be the best in the NBA wasn’t good enough to live up to his own desires.
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Kevin Durant Needs to be Better, But How Much More Can He Give
When you look at the transition offense the Oklahoma City Thunder had during the regular season, the best in the NBA, and what they’re trying to pull off now, you suddenly realize why Russell Westbrook is so important, despite his obvious shortcomings. Kevin Durant is trying to do everything for his team, but it doesn’t seem to be enough, and it’s not certain he has anything else to give.
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Oklahoma City Thunder – Kevin Durant Needs More From Serge Ibaka & Kevin Martin
It’s hard to point a finger on the one reason the Oklahoma City Thunder have been looking so bad on the court, regardless of who is missing. Reggie Jackson is doing a good job in the place of Russell Westbrook, but Kevin Durant needs more from what worked during the regular season – Serge Ibaka and Kevin Martin, who have been disappointing, to say the least, the Western Conference Semifinals so far.
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Kevin Durant Doesn’t Make Thunder Better Than Grizzlies
Those who thought that on the merit of having Kevin Durant alone the Oklahoma City Thunder might be favorites in their series against the Memphis Grizzlies were proven wrong in the first game, and were probably fully convinced after game 2, in which the visitors stole home court with a convincing 99-93 win, dominating the fourth quarter through the fantastic Mike Conley and Marc Gasol.
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NBA Playoffs – Grizzlies vs Thunder Game 2 Predictions
The Oklahoma City Thunder don’t have their starting point guard or any kind of offensive system, but they do have Kevin Durant playing his best basketball. The Memphis Grizzlies are quite methodical on both ends of the floor, but lack that superstar who can take the game on his shoulders in the final minutes. Will it cost them a second consecutive time?
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Kevin Durant Needs Kevin Martin to Stun the Memphis Grizzlies
Without Russell Westbrook, it seemed like the Oklahoma City Thunder were doomed. But Kevin Durant just happens to be one of the most unstoppable players in the NBA, even when he’s on his own. Kevin Martin remembered he used to be a big time scorer, and over the last two games has carried the Thunder along with Durant, helping set up the ground for the fourth quarter turnaround and snatching game 1 away from the Memphis Grizzlies.
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NBA Playoffs, Conference Semifinals – Grizzlies vs Thunder Series Preview
One team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, are arriving in the conference semifinal as the top seed in the Western Conference, but reeling for their first round series and missing their second best player, while the Memphis Grizzlies, winning four consecutive games to climb out of a 0-2 hole, might actually be considered the favorites.
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Oklahoma City Thunder – Kevin Martin Was Brought Over For This
All the comparisons with the star of his former team haven’t really been kind to Kevin Martin, brought over to the Oklahoma City Thunder to fill the role of a spot up shooter from the bench, forced to do something bigger with Russell Westbrook falling down. Kevin Durant led the way to a Game 6 win, but it was Martin who was the difference maker, finally making the most of a terrible Rockets defense.
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Kevin Durant is Not LeBron James
It took LeBron James a little while before getting recognized as the best player in the world, but there was little doubt about his ability to carry a team without too much talent around him to playoff success. Kevin Durant, realizing life without Russell Westbrook isn’t a all its cracked up to be, might dream of becoming the best player in the world, but he’s someway off that “title” at the moment.