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Kevin Durant’s long-awaited return to the Bay Area as a member of the Brooklyn Nets will finally happen this Saturday. The fact is, the reunion won’t bring the same hype because there won’t be fans at the Chase Center to cheer or taunt their former superstar. Plus, it’s not even the same arena where KD played anymore, as the Golden State Warriors have vacated Oracle Arena since last season.
Still, no one can deny with sincerity what Durant has meant to the Warriors during his short but very soft tenure.
As crucial as KD has been to the Dubs’ last two championships, there have always been reports that he felt undervalued. Finally, it was the Splash Curry brothers and Clay Thompson who dominated the headlines most of the time, while Draymond Green also had his share of good and bad publicity.
Of course, those two NBA titles and the last two MVPs were the highlights of Durant’s career in Oakland.
Let’s take a look at some of Kevin Durant’s most underrated performances in a Dubs jersey that most of us have probably forgotten.
5. First game against the Oklahoma City Thunder
Some players fight with their former team after a big deal or, as in Durant’s case, the signing of a controversial free agent. But that’s not the case with the six-foot-two striker.
When he was 3rd. November 2016 against former teammate Russell Westbrook, KD OKC showed what they were missing after scoring 29 points in the first half alone. Slim Reaper finished with 39 points on a 15-24 shot to give the Cubs an easy win.
3. November 2016 = Kevin Durant’s first game against Thunder. A damn guy with 39 points on the 15-to-24 shot. This rebound 3 in transition gave him 29 points in the first half. Rest! pic.twitter.com/3b1nLIm2rf
– Drew Schiller (@DrewShiller) April 21, 2020
Durant was even brighter in the second game, with 40 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and three blocks.
As for the current Warriors team, they already know that Durant has won his best game against his past opponents. Brooklyn and Golden State have already met in the opening game of the 2020 season, where Durant accidentally forfeited 22 points in the Nets’ victory at Barclays Center.
It is certain that Stephen Curry and company will be very careful with Durant in his first game in Oakland.
4. Career Playoffs for 50 points
Durant can easily score 50 points in his sleep, which is why few fans gave him the credit when he did so in the first round of the 2019 Western Conference playoffs against the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Warriors were fearful of eight points in this series, but KD made sure game 6 didn’t get a shock by delivering the coup de grâce.
In addition to his personal milestone, he also broke several franchise and league records that night.
The former sophomore scored 38 of his 50 points in the first period, setting a league record. He also joins legendary Warriors Rick Barry, Wilt Chamberlain and Sleepy Floyd, the only players in franchise history to score at least 50 points in the postseason.
In fact, Durant became the eighth player in NBA history to score 45 points in the playoffs after losing by 45 points in game five of the series.
Kevin Durant spent the night.
#Fourth Warrior to score more than 50 points in a playoff Eighth @NBAHistory player to score more than 45 points in two consecutive playoff games pic.twitter.com/15gTQpTaSW
– Golden State Warriors (@warriors) April 27, 2019
3. Three consecutive games of 35 points in playoffs
After defeating the Clips in the first round in 2019, KD set new records in the next series against the Houston Rockets.
Durant easily scored 35 points in the first game, becoming the second Dubs player since Rick Barry to score 35 or more points in three consecutive postseason games.
He also joined the ranks of LeBron James, Allen Iverson and Michael Jordan to become the fourth player in the last 30 years to score 200 points in five playoff games this year.
He then became the third Warriors player, after Barry and Chamberlain, to score at least 30 points in five consecutive playoff games. Not even Curry and Thompson have accomplished this feat (at least not yet).
2. Take warrior defense to an even higher level.
Kevin Durant will go down in history as one of the most offensive, unprotected and complete players in the league.
His arrival in the bay made it almost impossible to stop the already intimidating attack of the warriors. However, little has been said about the defensive presence he also brought to Oakland. Durant’s offense was so phenomenal that for a long time his defense was one of the most underrated aspects of his game.
The former NBA MVP has already been criticized for his slender physique, but he uses every inch of his height and length to block his opponents.
Still not convinced? Here are some of Durant’s defensive highlights from his three years at Golden State.
1. Dubs jersey last match
The fifth game of the 2019 Finals will still be overshadowed by Durant’s devastating Achilles injury. So he had one year of basketball, and there was concern that Durant would ever be the same player again.
Apparently he’s still there, and some people even claim he’s even bigger now, but that’s a whole other story.
The defending champions had their backs against the wall. Durant, who wasn’t even 100% at that point, bravely came back to give his team a chance.
He only played 12 minutes before the injury, but in that time he let Toronto’s defense down with 11 points.
frequently asked questions
What does KD say about warriors?
What did Kevin Durant say to Rihanna?
When Rihanna said she had been in the United States for two months, Durant replied that (the coronavirus) had gone into hiding there in December. Drake tried to join in on the joke by saying people should stop making fun of Durant for getting the coronavirus – but neither Durant nor Rihanna responded.
Who are the top 5 for the Golden State Warriors?
Golden State Warriors Depth Chart ESPN
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