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Kevin Durant is one of the purest scorers the game has ever seen as he has shown it time and again that he can average 27 in his sleep. Standing at 6'11 with a 7'4 wingspan, Kevin Durant can shoot over most of the opposition defenders guarding him.
That, coupled with incredible efficiency and unlimited range, it is no wonder the Brooklyn Nets offered KD a four-year extension.
A two-time champion and Finals MVP, the Slim Reaper has had incredible success throughout his career and is hoping to add another championship to his resume with the Brooklyn Nets this season. When you consider the quality of teammates he is playing alongside, you wouldn't bet against KD taking his team all the way.
Kevin Durant has played with plenty of Hall of Fame-caliber players throughout his career, but there has been more than one occasion where KD had to be the one to single-handedly dig the team out of trouble. Here we look at five such instances where Kevin Durant averaged more than 32 points per game in a playoff series.
#5. Vs Houston Rockets - 33.2 points per game
The 2019 Western Conference semifinals were between the Houston Rockets and the Golden State Warriors, led by Kevin Durant. The Slim Reaper and co. were looking to three-peat and establish themselves as arguably the greatest team ever constructed.
The Slim Reaper averaged 33.2 points, 4.4 assists and 5 rebounds while shooting over 43% from range and better than 45% from the field.
Kevin Durant's best performance of the series came in a Game 3 loss as KD had 46 points, and 6 assists while shooting 60% from downtown as the Rockets held on to win 126-121.
KD and the Warriors raced to a 2-0 lead as Durant started the series by scoring 35 points in the opener. Unfortunately, KD would go on to suffer a calf injury in Game 5 and miss the rest of the series.
#4. Vs Los Angeles Clippers - 33.2 points per game
During the 2014 NBA Western Conference semifinals between the OKC Thunder and the Los Angeles Clippers, Kevin Durant averaged 33.2 points,5.3 assists and 9.5 rebounds while shooting over 38% from range. KD shot better than 87% from the free throw line and played more than 42 minutes a game.
The Slim Reaper's best performance of the series came in the closeout game where he dropped 39 points and had 16 rebounds with 2 blocks. He shot better than 62% from downtown and over 52% from the field while making all 10 of his free throws.
KD and co. reached the Western Conference Finals that year, losing to the San Antonio Spurs in six games.
#3. Vs Los Angeles Clippers - 35 points per game
"I'm Kevin Durant. You know who I am". The moment Kevin Durant said this during the press conference, you knew it was the end of the road for the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Slim Reaper averaged 35 points, 5.3 assists, and 5.3 rebounds per game that series while shooting over 56% from the field and 40% from the perimeter. He also shot nearly a whopping 95% from the free-throw line.
After being pestered by Patrick Beverley all series long, KD said enough was enough and decided to take matters into his own hands. The Slim Reaper dropped 50 points in Game 6 against the Clippers, while shooting over 57% from the field and better than 42% from range, sinking 14 of the 15 free throws.
#2. Vs Cleveland Cavaliers - 35.2 points per game
The 2017 NBA Finals was the biggest moment of Kevin Durant's life. After leaving the OKC Thunder and joining forces with Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green for the Golden State Warriors, the pressure was well and truly on KD to deliver and win a championship with the Oakland-based franchise.
KD averaged 35.2 points, 5.4 assists and 8.2 rebounds while shooting better than 55% from the field and over 47% from the perimeter. Going up against LeBron James, the onus was on KD to prove a point with a proper crew backing him and that is exactly what he did.
The Warriors wrapped up the series in five games and Kevin Durant won his first championship.
#1. Vs Milwaukee Bucks - 35.4 points per game
Having left the Golden State Warriors for the Brooklyn Nets, the expectations were on KD to deliver a ring for Brooklyn. However, coming off of an Achilles injury, folks started downplaying the impact Durant could have on this Brooklyn team. That was a mistake because KD was better than ever.
KD was playing like a man possessed, and with Kyrie Irving going down in Game 4 and James Harden struggling with his hamstring, the burden was well and truly on Durant to take the team to the promised land.
The Slim Reaper averaged a whopping 35.2 points in that series with 10.6 rebounds and 5.4 assists while shooting over 49% from the field. KD was playing the best basketball of his life but it was in vain as the Milwaukee Bucks prevailed in seven games and went on to win the championship.
