Friday, December 30, 2011

All For Three, Three 4-0


With 1.4 seconds left, and a perfect record at stake, Kevin Durant took matters into his own hands; taking the inbounds and nailing the 3-point buzzer beater to keep Thunder's record intact at 4-0, while condemning the defending champion Dallas Mavericks to a 0-3 start.

It was only seconds earlier that Vince Carter had scored what surely seemed to be the game winner for Dallas.  His joy would only last 48 seconds however, before Durant snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.  Not bad at all, considering Durant's lapse on defense allowed Carter enough room to sink the 3-pointer.

The Mavericks roster may look a little different, but the same fighting spirit that propelled them their first ever league title seems to have stuck around.  They fought till the very end and would have been deserved winners had they managed to pull through.  Alas, it was not meant to be however.

Also returning to the floor after spending sometime on the side of a milk-carton was Russell Westbrook.  He finished with 16 points, some of them at a very crucial time, helping lift the team when it seemed like Dallas was about to run away with the game.

Westbrook suffered through a 0-13 night from the field the previous night against Memphis, and it didn't help matters either when his sideline spat with Durant was blown out of proportion.  All you could hear from all the armchair coaches and certain analysts were calls to trade the point-guard. 

Forgotten in all the hoopla was the fact Westbrook went 4-4 from the charity stripe, with 2 of those points helping seal the game against a Grizzlies' team that is certain to give OKC fits for a few seasons to come.

To hear the crowd chanting Westbrook's name was a much welcome relief, making his recent struggles seem like a thing of the past.

As a parting shot, I'll leave you with the Durant's buzzer beater for your enjoyment; stuff of legend.