These 2018 NBA Finals were supposed to be the time when Stephen Curry could claim a much-eluded Finals MVP award after Andre Iguodala earned the honors in 2015 and Kevin Durant did last year after dropping 30-plus-point games in each of his five outings against their fierce rivals, the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Following a 43-point eruption that brought some deja vu from last year's Game 3 that also put Cleveland at the brink of elimination, conversation shifted into some thinking Durant could snatch that Finals MVP award away from the frontrunner Curry, after he carried the team on his back for the vast majority of this pivotal road game.
Asked if he was slighted by not being mentioned in the Finals MVP conversation prior to his explosive outing in a 110-102 victory, Durant was his usual nonchalant self.
“Not at all,” said Kevin Durant, according to ESPN's Chris Haynes. “That's something I can't control. In the end, people will remember. I'm here to play.”
LeBron James, who was tasked with guarding Durant for much of the fourth quarter, as the team's best one-on-one defender, noted just how much of a difference maker he's been for this team.
“I mean, you guys ask me what is the difference between the Warriors — you guys asked me this last year, what was the difference between the Warriors the previous year and this year, and what was my answer? All right. There it is. Kevin Durant was my answer,” James said. “He's one of the best players that I've ever played against that this league has ever seen. His ability to handle the ball, shoot the ball, make plays at his length, his size, his speed. So there it is.”
Durant bounced back from a meager Game 1 performance to shoot the ball extremely efficiently in Game 2 (10-of-14 from the floor) and Game 3 (15-of-23 from the floor, 6-of-9 from deep, 7-of-7 from the foul line), now likely edging Curry in the running for the much-coveted award after such a vital road win to put the Cavs at the brink of elimination for a second straight year.
Follow Us
Subscribe