NBA Finals: Kevin Durant flashes back to Texas days with clutch shot in Game 3
Former Texas Longhorns star Kevin Durant was magnificent yet again for the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.
This time, Kevin Durant took his superior game on the road to Cleveland to help the Warriors win Game 3 of the Finals.
Now, Golden State has a 3-0 series lead on the Cavs after winning 118-113 Wednesday night. Game 4 is Friday and Durant could be looking at his first NBA Title.
There were moments where you saw flashes of the Kevin Durant from his one college season at Texas in 2006-2007.
He was playing free and easy, clutch and sensational, unstoppable and unconscious. No better example was his pull-up three over LeBron James in the last 45 seconds of the game to give the Warriors a lead they would not relinquish.
Longhorns fans watched Durant pull up and drain threes over opponents in key moments throughout his Player of the Year season in Austin.
While in Oklahoma City, sometimes Durant would play tight in these key moments. He played as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. But, with the Warriors, it’s been the opposite in the Finals.
Durant looked like a Longhorn again, doing whatever he wanted on the court. Fallaway jumper, attack the rim, or nail a three over LeBron James to seal the win.
Kevin Durant Entering Rarified Air in NBA Finals
Kevin Durant is now in the conversation with Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal in NBA Finals history.
According to ESPN Stats & Info, Durant is the third player to score at least 25 points in his first eight NBA Finals games, joining MJ and Shaq.
Kevin Durant: 3rd player to score at least 25 points in his first 8 NBA Finals games.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 8, 2017
Others: Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal
Durant’s first five games were with the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2012 NBA Finals. Durant and the Thunder lost to LeBron James and the Miami Heat in those Finals. The next three games have been in the 2017 NBA Finals, where Durant has raised his game to legendary status.
Durant posted another amazing statline on the road in Game 3:
- 31 points
- 8 rebounds
- 4 assists
- 1 steal
- 1 blocked shot
- 10-18 shooting
- 4-7 on threes
- 7-8 free throws
- 41 minutes played, tied with Klay Thompson for the most on the Warriors
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There is no slowing down Kevin Durant right now. He is in a mission to win his first NBA Title. And, he showed that he can play just as well on the road as at home.
Meanwhile, his Texas Longhorns counterpart Tristan Thompson continues to struggle for the Cavs.
In Game 3, Tristan recorded zero points in 23 minutes.
Thompson did register three rebounds, two assists, and two blocked shots. But, Thompson has not been a factor in this series.
It will be interesting to see how Game 4 plays out as the Warriors look to complete an unbeaten, historic 16-0 Playoffs run. Will Durant continue tapping into his Texas days playing like the best player on the court?