Kevin Durant or LeBron James?
That has been the question many have been asking since Durant’s incredible scoring run in the month of January. Prior to Oklahoma City Thunder’s matchup against Miami Heat on Wednesday, the forward had scored at least 30 points or more in 11 consecutive games, going 8-3 in that span – all without All-Star guard Russell Westbrook.
For Durant, this stuff matters. He openly admit last season that being second to LeBron James in everything was not something he enjoyed. He wants to be the best, and he may be doing enough this season to be considered just that.
So he went up against the world champions with the utmost confidence, and the “Slim Reaper” continued his dominating performance with 33 points, seven rebounds and five assists to help the Thunder rout the Heat 112-95 despite getting down by as many as 18 points in the first quarter. In the third quarter in particular, he and James had one of those “superstar” moments where the two traded 12 ridiculous points against each other. It’s the kind of show everyone hoped to see from two of the best players in the world, and they did not disappoint. James ended up with 34 points, three assists and three rebounds, but the Heat were sloppy all night and coughed up the ball 20 times.
Needless to say, Durant’s performance has been the talk of the league over the past few weeks. With two more 30-point games, he will match Tracy McGrady’s run of at least 30 points for 14 consecutive games from the 2002-2003 season. The primary difference is that McGrady was never as efficient as Durant during his run – Durant has been blistering from all over the field and has shot at least 52.2 percent or better in seven consecutive games. He’s also averaging a whopping 38 points in his last 12 games to go with 6.3 rebounds and 5.9 assists. The assists are especially impressive, given that he is keeping his teammates involved while keeping up the scoring barrage.
From a statistical standpoint, it was always the assists that separated James from Durant. That Durant continues to evolve in this regard is just another aspect of how his game continues to improve every year. With seemingly infinite range and the ability to handle the ball like a guard standing at almost seven feet tall, he has become one of the most unstoppable forces in the history of the game. Just ask Isiah Thomas:
One of a kind, never seen before @KDTrey5!
— Isiah Thomas (@iamisiahthomas) January 30, 2014
It’s worth remembering that Durant is only 25 and probably still has yet to play his best basketball, although what he’s doing right now may be tough to match. Normally, saying that he is one of a kind may be an overstatement. Given what he has done this season from an all-around standpoint, though, Thomas may just be onto something. We may never have seen anyone quite like Durant, and all we can do at this point is soak in the moments and appreciate what appears to be his path to a historical season.
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James Park is the chief blogger of Sheridan Hoops. You can find him on twitter @SheridanBlog.