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The King and the Kid; the future is now!
By Sekou Smith • January 24, 2010 • 10:59 AM
LeBron James and Kevin Durant gave us all a glimpse into the NBA's bright future rivalry Saturday night in the Cavaliers' thrilling win over the Thunder. Hope you didn't miss it.
Kobe Bryant won't play forever.
I know it seems like a crazy thing to say right now, while the NBA's most lethal talent is still in the midst of his championship ways. But seriously, Kobe can't do this forever.
So LeBron James needs another foil, another player with otherworldly skills and swagger to match.
That new foil is Kevin Durant.
I saw it with my own eyes Saturday night as the King and the Kid dueled during the Cavaliers' thrilling win over the Thunder.
As if that Cavs-Lakers game wasn't spectacular enough Thursday night, the league schedule makers treated us with a Saturday night affair worthy of TNT's Thursday night prime time slot.
Durant was fantastic, doing everything but stealing the game at the end (due mostly to the jaw-dropping defensive play from James). James was his usual ridiculous self, chasing a triple double as he always does by playing at a speed few humans can match and in a stratosphere even fewer can survive in during this era.
They might not fight it out for Larry O'Brien trophies anytime soon. But the league's most intriguing rivalry for years to come will include these two young freaks of nature.
I wondered if the game I saw looked the same to others, so I scrambled to read up on things from both Cleveland and Oklahoma City to find out.
Brian Windhorst of the Plain Dealer: "Thunder star Kevin Durant was every bit the challenge to handle as Kobe Bryant was, especially without Jamario Moon, who manages him best on the Cavs' roster. Shaquille O'Neal had his most prolific performance of the season as he tried to fill in for the missing offense. Daniel Gibson rallied from a shaky start to finish strong. And the Cavs gutted through the victory despite having some mainstays let them down, like free-throw shooting and interior defense. At the heart of it, though, was that James played better than he did against the Lakers, if that's possible. If the Cavs (34-11) are going to keep up their winning ways -- and they've won four in a row now -- there's probably going to have to be a lot more of all of the above. James was masterful all night, picking up even more point-guard duties that normal and racking up 12 assists. He stepped up on the glass against the Thunder's lanky big men and grabbed nine rebounds. As has been his norm, he was clutch in the stretch by making a series of heart-stopping plays. He scored 13 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter and didn't take a break, which isn't a good trend. But he hit two 3-pointers, which were vital, and two free throws with 0.9 seconds left, which turned out to be the difference. "He put us on his shoulders again," coach Mike Brown said. "LeBron has played fantastic basketball of late. He's been aggressive, he's taken shots at the right time, he's passed the ball at the right time, he's brought us juice, he's rebounded."
Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman: "Hail him King. Consider him the Chosen One. Boast that he’s the best in basketball. But on Saturday night, LeBron James was simply money. Not only did James construct an outing that compensated for the absence of three key Cavs players, but Cleveland’s star forward also delivered when it mattered most, becoming the latest player to torch the Thunder down the stretch and steal what would have been a momentous victory. James scored or assisted on 19 of Cleveland’s final 22 points to help the Cavs escape with a 100-99 win over the Thunder inside Quicken Loans Arena. The one-man show came after the Cavs blew a 13-point halftime lead and trailed by six inside the final 10 minutes. James’ final line: 37 points, 12 assists, nine rebounds. He made nine of 19 shots, including six of 10 from beyond the 3-point line. "He’s a special player,” said Thunder coach Scott Brooks. "He does incredible things, and he makes it look very easy.” James saved the game with yet another big-time block, the kind in which he routinely creeps up on an unsuspecting player and swats the rock into the fourth row. This time Kevin Durant became a witness, seeing his potential game-tying, driving left-handed layup attempt rejected by James with 2.9 seconds remaining. James recovered the loose ball and was fouled with 0.9 seconds left. As he stood at the foul line with a chance to ice the game, the crowd broke into its customary "M-V-P” chant, the Jumbotron catching the charismatic James nodding his head in agreement. "He made a good play, but I was trying to be aggressive,” said Durant, whose 34-point, 10-rebound effort went for naught. "I threw it up there pretty high, but he is the most athletic guy in the league. Give him credit. That’s why he’s one of the best shot-blockers in the game.”
The King and the Kid; the future is now!
By Sekou Smith • January 24, 2010 • 10:59 AM
LeBron James and Kevin Durant gave us all a glimpse into the NBA's bright future rivalry Saturday night in the Cavaliers' thrilling win over the Thunder. Hope you didn't miss it.
Kobe Bryant won't play forever.
I know it seems like a crazy thing to say right now, while the NBA's most lethal talent is still in the midst of his championship ways. But seriously, Kobe can't do this forever.
So LeBron James needs another foil, another player with otherworldly skills and swagger to match.
That new foil is Kevin Durant.
I saw it with my own eyes Saturday night as the King and the Kid dueled during the Cavaliers' thrilling win over the Thunder.
As if that Cavs-Lakers game wasn't spectacular enough Thursday night, the league schedule makers treated us with a Saturday night affair worthy of TNT's Thursday night prime time slot.
Durant was fantastic, doing everything but stealing the game at the end (due mostly to the jaw-dropping defensive play from James). James was his usual ridiculous self, chasing a triple double as he always does by playing at a speed few humans can match and in a stratosphere even fewer can survive in during this era.
They might not fight it out for Larry O'Brien trophies anytime soon. But the league's most intriguing rivalry for years to come will include these two young freaks of nature.
I wondered if the game I saw looked the same to others, so I scrambled to read up on things from both Cleveland and Oklahoma City to find out.
Brian Windhorst of the Plain Dealer: "Thunder star Kevin Durant was every bit the challenge to handle as Kobe Bryant was, especially without Jamario Moon, who manages him best on the Cavs' roster. Shaquille O'Neal had his most prolific performance of the season as he tried to fill in for the missing offense. Daniel Gibson rallied from a shaky start to finish strong. And the Cavs gutted through the victory despite having some mainstays let them down, like free-throw shooting and interior defense. At the heart of it, though, was that James played better than he did against the Lakers, if that's possible. If the Cavs (34-11) are going to keep up their winning ways -- and they've won four in a row now -- there's probably going to have to be a lot more of all of the above. James was masterful all night, picking up even more point-guard duties that normal and racking up 12 assists. He stepped up on the glass against the Thunder's lanky big men and grabbed nine rebounds. As has been his norm, he was clutch in the stretch by making a series of heart-stopping plays. He scored 13 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter and didn't take a break, which isn't a good trend. But he hit two 3-pointers, which were vital, and two free throws with 0.9 seconds left, which turned out to be the difference. "He put us on his shoulders again," coach Mike Brown said. "LeBron has played fantastic basketball of late. He's been aggressive, he's taken shots at the right time, he's passed the ball at the right time, he's brought us juice, he's rebounded."
Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman: "Hail him King. Consider him the Chosen One. Boast that he’s the best in basketball. But on Saturday night, LeBron James was simply money. Not only did James construct an outing that compensated for the absence of three key Cavs players, but Cleveland’s star forward also delivered when it mattered most, becoming the latest player to torch the Thunder down the stretch and steal what would have been a momentous victory. James scored or assisted on 19 of Cleveland’s final 22 points to help the Cavs escape with a 100-99 win over the Thunder inside Quicken Loans Arena. The one-man show came after the Cavs blew a 13-point halftime lead and trailed by six inside the final 10 minutes. James’ final line: 37 points, 12 assists, nine rebounds. He made nine of 19 shots, including six of 10 from beyond the 3-point line. "He’s a special player,” said Thunder coach Scott Brooks. "He does incredible things, and he makes it look very easy.” James saved the game with yet another big-time block, the kind in which he routinely creeps up on an unsuspecting player and swats the rock into the fourth row. This time Kevin Durant became a witness, seeing his potential game-tying, driving left-handed layup attempt rejected by James with 2.9 seconds remaining. James recovered the loose ball and was fouled with 0.9 seconds left. As he stood at the foul line with a chance to ice the game, the crowd broke into its customary "M-V-P” chant, the Jumbotron catching the charismatic James nodding his head in agreement. "He made a good play, but I was trying to be aggressive,” said Durant, whose 34-point, 10-rebound effort went for naught. "I threw it up there pretty high, but he is the most athletic guy in the league. Give him credit. That’s why he’s one of the best shot-blockers in the game.”
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