Kevin Durant explodes for 38 first-half points against the Clippers
By Ian Levy
After another embarrassing loss, Kevin Durant has come out determined to eliminate the Clippers in Game 6. He started with 38 points in the first half.
Two homes losses have for the Warriors have meant that their first-round series against the Clippers is one of the last to finish. Kevin Durant seems determined to make sure it wraps in tonight’s Game 6. On the road in Los Angeles, he’s come out and dropped 38 points in the first half.
Per Warriors PR, “Kevin Durant’s 38 first-half points ties the NBA record for most points in the first half of a playoff game, matching Charles Barkley’s 38-point half at Golden State on May 4, 1994. Eric “Sleepy” Floyd holds the record for most points in any half of a playoff game with 39.”
Durant has done it from all over the floor, draining jumpers, finishing around the rim and getting himself to the free throw line 10 times.
At the half, Kevin Durant already has 38 points on 22.6 minutes, 39% usage, and 21 true shot attempts. He's 3/3 at the rim, 4/8 behind the arc, and 10/10 at the line. He's torched the Clippers off the dribble, in the post, in isolation, in every conceivable way. pic.twitter.com/uWfgwTbH7y
— Positive Residual (@presidual) April 27, 2019
While the Clippers would obviously prefer Durant hadn’t been quite as effective, they haven’t adapted their defensive strategy at all to counter the onslaught. Like the Rockets in last season’s Western Conference Finals, they seem comfortable avoiding double-teams and letting Durant try to beat them with isolations and post-ups, as opposed to getting Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson involved and in rhythm with the Warriors typical high-motion offense. However, they risk setting themselves up to fall on the wrong side of history. The NBA record for points in a playoff game is 63, set by Michael Jordan, a mark that’s certainly in reach.
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Durant’s heroics have given the Warriors a 19-point lead at halftime. However, the Clippers have already proven that no lead is safe against them and with Danilo Gallinari, Patrick Beverley and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander all cooking in the first half, they have to feel confident about their chances to come back.