Kevin Durant scored 18 points in the fourth quarter Saturday night to lead Oklahoma City to victory over San Antonio in Game 4, squaring the NBA Western final at 2-2. Game 5 goes Monday night in San Antonio.
STEVE SISNEY/REUTERS
Leave it to San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich not to mince words, or take cautiously phrased questions lightly.
His team had just been blitzed by Kevin Durant to the tune of 18 fourth-quarter points in complexion-altering Game 4 of the NBA’s Western Conference final and a rather timid questioner suggest that Durant had “seemed†to take over the game.
To Popovich’s credit, he didn’t scream “duh†but he did phrase his answer in no uncertain terms.
“It didn’t seem like that, that was a fact,†the acerbic Popovich said. “I was there. I saw it. He was great.â€
Durant was indeed great in a sublime fourth quarter as the Thunder seized whatever momentum can be gained in a best-of-seven series with a 109-103 win Saturday night that tied the series 2-2.
After being held in check for most of the first three quarters â€" he had just four field goal attempts in the first half â€" Durant erupted as superstars do.
When the Spurs made a run to make the 18,000 fans at the Chesapeake Energy Arena a tad nervous, Durant simply took over.
Playing almost exclusively at power forward, he dominated every time he touched the ball, creating space to get open mid-range jumpers he did not miss and attacking the basket for easy buckets in the paint.
It was a virtuoso performance and turned a good series into a great one, reducing it to a best-of-three set that resumes Monday night in San Antonio.
“I just want to be calm and composed and poised in those situations and make the right basketball play,†Durant said. “I just try to calm down and go with my instincts.â€
Durant’s instincts are becoming those of seasoned, outstanding veterans. When he wasn’t scoring much in the first three quarters, he was still having an impact on the game offensively, piling up eight assists.
He did what the true greats do: Bide their time, make their teammates better and take over when the game â€" and likely the season for the Thunder â€" is on the line.
“I wasn’t freezing him out, trust me,†joked Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks. “I’d like him to shoot more than four times. But with Kevin, it’s not about shots, it’s about playing very consistent with some toughness and making plays for his team.
“They’re a great team, they’re a team that plays great defence. They’re not just going to continue to give him looks. I give him credit. He opened up the defence by making passes.â€
It will now be up to the Spurs, who saw a 20-game winning streak snapped by the Thunder in Game 3, to try and figure out how to stop them.
Oklahoma City’s role players were brilliant in Games 3 and 4 â€" Thabo Sefolosha dominated Game 3 and Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins were a combined 22-for-25 from the field in Game 4 â€" and they do have Durant, who is the most talented player in the series.
“We tried to do a couple of different things, but his play was better than anything we did defensively, that’s for sure,†said Popovich. “He finished (Game 4) off in fine fashion.â€
The Spurs have to be careful he doesn’t finish off the series the same way.
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