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Kevin Durant is one of the most, if not the most, dominant scorers in the NBA. He is an anomaly, an individual that defies the conventions of what a seven-foot player can or cannot do.
Unstoppable on his best days or on his worst, there is almost nothing Kevin Durant is not capable of at the offensive end. And yet, he is also a fearsome defender. He is still in the process of writing his legacy, but the story he has written already is as motivating as it gets.
In his 13 years in the league, the man bestowed with the title of Slim Reaper has appeared in the NBA All-Star game on 11 occasions. He has, since his third year in the league, consistently competed with LeBron James to claim the tag as the best player in the league.
As Bron's aura fades, NBA players, pundits and fans can't help but accept Kevin Durant's pedigree. The Brooklyn Nets' no. 7 is, without a doubt, the most lethal scorer in the league now. Durant, 33, still has a good few years left to reign supreme.
As an ode to the might of KD, let's have a look at his six best scoring performances against the LA Lakers, arguably the most successful team in the league's history. This ranking is not based on his impact on the game or outcome, but is solely based on the number of points Durant scored.
So without further ado, let's get started:
#6 35 points (April 22, 2012)
This game saw a young Oklahoma City Thunder team take on an aging LA Lakers side. on April 22, 2012. The OKC Thunder, which included the likes of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka and James Harden, were defeated by the LA Lakers.
However, Durant scored 35 points in the game, helping OKC push the team out of Los Angeles to double overtime. Even though his performance wasn't enough to help Oklahoma win the game, Kevin Durant's tally in 50.3 minutes are worthy enough for him to be on this list.
#5 35 points (January 7, 2013)
At a time when Kendrick Perkins wasn't an outspoken commentator but an Oklahoma City Thunder player, Kevin Durant was still as exceptional a scorer as he is today. On January 7, 2013, the Thunder squad met the Lakers that included Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Metta World Peace and Steve Nash.
Interestingly, of the four Lakers mentioned above, three are retired while Pau Gasol is gearing up to announce his retirement. Meanwhile, Nash is now Kevin Durant's coach. But on that day, Nash and Durant were fierce rivals.
Even though the veteran gold-and-purple squad overwhelmed the Thunder team 105-96, the Slim Reaper registered 35 points. Durant scored 13 of his 14 attempts from the free-throw line.
#4 36 points (December 7, 2012)
Kevin Durant, who scored 36 points on December 7, 2012, guided his team to victory against the LA Lakers. In his game-winning performance, he also registered nine rebounds and four assists while maintaining an 87.5% efficiency rate from the free-throw line.
In response, Bryant scored 35 points and registered a 90% success rate from the free-throw line. Nevertheless, KD's performance proved too much for the Lakers, who lost the game 114-108.
#3 36 points (December 18, 2017)
The only game where Kevin Durant scored more than 33 points against the LA Lakers without wearing the Oklahoma City Thunder colors happened on December 18, 2017. KD was then a Golden State Warrior's prime asset. He was their leading scorer in the match. Moreover, in Stephen Curry's absence, Durant was also the commander in chief responsible for guiding his team to victory.
The Warriors' roster included Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala and Javale McGee. Meanwhile, the LA Lakers squad included youngsters Kyle Kuzma, Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram. On paper, the matchup seemed incredibly one-sided in the Golden State Warriors' favor, but the on-court action was as close as it could have got.
Despite Durant's tally of 36 points in 41 minutes, the GSW team could only eke out a narrow win. In their 116-114 victory, KD registered 11 rebounds, eight assists and four three-pointers. In the same season, the team out of San Francisco went on to win their sixth championship, while the Lakers missed the playoffs for the sixth straight year.
#2 42 points (January 11, 2013)
One of the only two-times Kevin Durant has registered a forty-point game against the LA Lakers, was played on January 11, 2013.
In simple words, the Slim Reaper ran hot during the game. He attempted a whooping 25 field goals and converted 11 of them. His ability to attack the paint was on full display, as he used his long and slender body to outmanouvre the Lakers defense, registering 42 points.
The four-time scoring champion displayed exceptional attacking and defending skills during the game. Along with a brilliant performance by triple-double king Russell Westbrook, the Oklahoma City Thunder beat LA 116-101.
#1 43 points (February 13, 2014)
Kevin Durant recorded the best scoring performance of his career against the LA Lakers on February 13, 2014.
In almost 42 minutes, the Slim Reaper landed 33 shot attempts against the purple and gold. Even though the team from Los Angeles were missing much of their star players, Durant's 43 points highlighted the downfall of a once indomitable Kobe Bryant-led Showtime.
To add insult to injury, Durant also snatched 12 rebounds and registered seven assists, helping OKC to a 107-103 win. The Slim Reaper never registered a better scoring performance against the 17-time winners.
