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There is hardly anyone more excited about the regular season being in the rearview mirror than Kevin Durant, who has now geared his game for the real season at stake in this year's playoffs. The Golden State Warriors leading postseason scorer has not only embraced this time of the year, but thrived in it, averaging 38.3 points per game since his “I'm Kevin Durant” speech following Game 2 of the first round:
“This is where this sh** is fun, this is when it’s serious and I’m just embracing it,” Durant told Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. “I’m just having so much fun right now. This time of year is what I’m geared for. I’m just hooping at a high level and enjoying the competitiveness of the playoffs. You go through such a long season to get to this point, and now it’s time to produce.”
Durant put up 45 points in Game 5 of the Warriors' series against the LA Clippers, then a triumphant 50 in Game 6 to put them away for good, which is a sight that he has been locked in during this year's playoff journey. The back-to-back Finals MVP has also played at a torrid pace on defense, now being the tallest man in a small but effective Hamptons 5 lineup:
“I’m doing what I need to do to help our team get a win,” said Durant. “If that means playing center, then so be it. I’m locked in right now and it feels good.”
His teammates have also noticed how Durant has thrived in the moment, taking ownership of the results, as well as putting the team on his shoulders when they need him most:
“You can tell he’s enjoying this experience,” said forward Andre Iguodala. “He’s playing at a high level and we need him to. He’s giving us great production on both ends of the floor, and it looks like he’s doing it with ease. He’s amazing to watch. When he’s feeling good, we tend to look good.”
So far, the Warriors are riding a three-game playoff win streak, along with Durant's zoned-in mentality in a crucial series against the Houston Rockets with a 2-0 lead.
