Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant’s start was so hot that it all but finished the LA Clippers’ season before the halftime buzzer. The Golden State Warriors failed to eliminate the Clips despite Durant's 45 points two nights earlier in Game 5, so the star sniper decided to one-up himself with a legendary Game 6 closeout performance in the first-round playoff series. Durant kicked things off with an authoritative one-handed transition dunk, and his scorching first half also included four 3-pointers among his 12 made field goals. Whether he was converting triples from atop the key, difficult and-1 turnaround jumpers or runners in the lane, Durant’s vintage heat check game represented his most explosive postseason performance in an iconic career full of them. Once the dust settled, Durant had posted a playoff career-high 50 points on 15 of 26 from the field, 6 of 14 from downtown and 14 of 15 from the free throw line. He shot 12 of 17 before halftime alone as Golden State built an insurmountable 19-point lead, with his 38-point first-half eruption matching the second-most points ever scored in one half in postseason history. Durant added six rebounds and five assists in the 129-110 victory on April 26, 2019 as the Warriors won the series 4-2, with the two-time champion averaging 35 points across the six games.

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