Durant, who's known more for his three NBA scoring titles than for stepping in the way of oncoming opponents, got in Harden's way on a transition drive in the third quarter in a standout defensive effort for the Thunder against the league's second highest-scoring offense.
Against the Thunder, the difference hasn't been the gap between LeBron James and Kevin Durant, or between Dwyane Wade and Russell Westbrook.
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After scoring against the Thunder in the second quarter, World Peace was cheering his own shot when he hit the Oklahoma City guard in the back of the head, knocking him down.
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In Game Four against the Thunder last year, we saw LeBron carried off the floor with cramps, only to come back a few minutes later and hit a dagger of a three-pointer to put the Heat ahead.
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Bryant, who injured his right elbow in a loss at Oklahoma City on Tuesday night but played through it to score 30 against the Thunder, scored 25 points in the second half, 18 in the final quarter as the Lakers (31-31) pulled back to .500 and remained within three games of the last playoff spot in the Western Conference.
The Heat won 101-88 to advance to the NBA finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Those who turned up early to secure a spot against the railings at Old Trafford were greeted by thunder and lightning, with some running for cover beneath the canopy of the East Stand.
It's almost in his grasp, and should he grasp it, he can be certain the accomplishment was made possible by his efforts in critical games against Indiana and Boston, and persistent excellence versus the Thunder.
The Thunder made their first nine shots in their only win of the season against Memphis, the best start to a game by an NBA team this season.
Eight of their 12 wins coming into the game were against teams with .500 records or better, including the Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder.
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