Durant seizes Finals moment to shine
CLEVELAND — Kevin Durant never demanded he’d get to take the biggest shot of the NBA Finals.
The Golden State Warriors made no promises and he knew there were no guarantees. When they met last summer in New York to discuss the biggest decision of his career, neither side even focused on winning titles.
They talked about having fun, and now Durant is on the verge of having the time of his basketball life.
One win from his first championship and probably the NBA Finals MVP along with it, Durant is the perfect player in the perfect place.
“I think I said it last night, it just looks like he understands this is his moment, this is his time,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “He’s earned it. He’s been in this league for a long time, and he’s, I think, at the top of his game at the biggest time.”
Durant was widely criticized last year when he left Oklahoma City for Golden State, chided for trying to take the easiest route to a title by joining what was already a stacked team.
But that wasn’t the way he looked at it. Durant wasn’t thinking about lifting trophies or being fitted for rings. He loves to play basketball, and loved the way the Warriors play it.
“I didn’t envision anything but just being around good people and getting better every single day. That’s exactly what happened throughout the season,” Durant said.
What’s happened is probably beyond what either even imagined.
The Warriors had the league’s best record even while losing Durant late in the season to a knee injury, and really turned it on in the playoffs. They are 15-0 and will trying to finish the NBA’s first perfect postseason with a victory over Cleveland tonight in Game 4.
Durant’s 3-pointer over LeBron James with 45 seconds left in Game 3 gave the Warriors the lead for good in a 118-113 win, providing him a lasting highlight that will be the signature play of this series and perhaps his career.
In his postgame interview, he used the word “liberating” to describe the moment.
Durant is averaging 34 points, 10 rebounds and 6.0 assists in the Finals, joining Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal as the only players with at least 25 points in their first eight Finals games.
“I think the whole thing was how fun it would be, because of the style of play, because of the individual talents,” Kerr said. “None of these guys are ball-dominant players. They all love playing off the ball, cutting, moving, passing. And it fits. They fit like a hand in a glove.”