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Coming off of a rough performance against the Memphis Grizzlies, going an uncharacteristic 11 of 24 from the field while turning the ball over six times, Kevin Durant looked to put in a strong performance Monday night against the Dallas Mavericks.
From the tip-off, Durant looked poised to have a big game and drive the Warriors to a much-needed victory.
Taking advantage of Dirk Nowitzki’s sagging defense, Durant pulled up to sink one of his four 3-pointers early in the first. In addition to a strong first quarter scoring (3 for 4 from the field going 2 for 3 from three-point range), Durant found a way to affect the game in all its facets, something not lost on those watching.
Not that this should be surprising, but Durant is all over the place so far. Making 3's, making stops, pushing it in transition..,,,
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) October 24, 2017
Exiting the game with 4:53 left to go in the first quarter, Durant had already tallied 8 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, and 1 block while, perhaps more importantly, not turning the ball over once. Durant’s scoring along with his defense and passing all helped the Warriors jump out to a 16 point lead.
Durant’s second quarter was a bit more uneven. He would score 7 points but also had his first turnover of the game as the Mavericks were able to get back into the game, cutting that lead to just three points at halftime.
Having their large lead whittled down, the Warriors came out strong in the third quarter and seized back control of the game. Here Durant capped a great sequence, started by Klay Thompson’s defense on Mavericks PG Yogi Ferrell and assisted by Draymond Green.
Defense to offense pic.twitter.com/WeWWkjWXTB
— GoldenStateWarriors (@warriors) October 24, 2017
Durant would put in two of the four points he would score in the third.But Durant’s contributions went beyond his scoring as his passing was exceptional.
Here Durant draws the double team in the post, leaving Klay Thompson wide open to take a three-pointer to give the Warriors a double-digit lead early in the third quarter. Durant would log two assists in the third, adding another one early in the fourth as he once again found Thompson open as the Mavericks defense gravitated towards Durant.
But his final mark on this game would be through his scoring as Durant effectively ended it early in the fourth quarter.
Seeing the vastly undersized J.J. Barea guarding him, Durant pulled up for the 3-pointer, his only field goal of the fourth quarter, that pushed the Warriors lead to 22 points.
Durant finished the game with an impressive and well-rounded stat line— 25 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 block and only 2 turnovers in 33 minutes of action. Durant also led the Warriors in plus/minus with a +25. After a few subpar efforts to start out the 2017-2018 regular season, Durant put together a complete performance and guided the Warriors to victory in Dallas.
Poll
Who was the Warrior Wonder versus the Mavericks?
This poll is closed
-
25%
Kevin Durant
(152 votes) -
1%
Draymond Green
(7 votes) -
1%
Zaza Pachulia
(7 votes) -
2%
Klay Thompson
(14 votes) -
36%
Stephen Curry
(223 votes) -
0%
JaVale McGee
(3 votes) -
0%
Andre Iguodala
(2 votes) -
1%
Nick Young
(7 votes) -
27%
Jordan Bell
(168 votes) -
0%
Shaun Livingston
(6 votes) -
0%
David West
(3 votes) -
0%
Patrick McCaw
(1 vote) -
1%
Omri Casspi
(12 votes)