EDMOND, Okla. — In tonight’s Game 2 against Denver, Kevin Durant expects more of this:
With less than a minute left in Game 1, Oklahoma City is trying to run a play for Durant to get the ball. But the Thunder’s superstar forward is being held up by Kenyon Martin and can’t shake free.
Russell Westbrook ended up taking, and bouncing in, the game-deciding shot with 22.4 seconds. But it was Durant’s inability to get open at the end that is most worrisome to him and his coach, Scott Brooks. That is going to have to change, Brooks said, as the series continues.
“They do a good job of holding and pushing Kevin off of his spots,” Brooks said Tuesday after the Thunder’s practice. “Kevin has to play with a little more force so he can get better position.”
Ultimately, Brooks said, it’s going to be a combination of a craftier Durant and clever play-calling that opens up space for him to catch the ball and roam with it. He took 22 shots and made 13, but he also was fouled eight times, making 12-of-15 from the line.
“He has to do a better job, and I have to do a better job of setting up the screen so he can come off of it with a little more freedom,” Brooks said. “He has to also work at that area of the game. He’s improved. He’s improved a lot since we’ve had him. His strength is getting much better. I think it’s important that we do get some separation and that he gets a better screen on the ball so he can have a chance to get the shot himself.”
Still, Durant was free enough to score a playoff career-high 41 points, including 14 points in the third quarter on 5-of-7 shooting (with three 3-pointers). So, it isn’t as if his game needs an extreme makeover. But he would like to tweak some things in how he goes about his business on the court.
“I shot some bad shots and got some turnovers, but I was able to stick with it,” Durant said. “I just try to be aggressive and to make the right passes. Sometimes I might want to get the ball so they can double and I can kick it back out. I just got to get better at it.”
Durant expects Denver to keep rotating players on him, double-teaming him and putting Martin on him for the stretch run. Durant is pleased with his team’s start.
“I think we did what we were supposed to do,” Durant said. “Anytime that you have home-court advantage, you’re supposed to win the first game. They made it tough on us.
“This series can go either way. We have to worry about what we’re going to do to get better and how we can better on both ends of the floor, and if we can feed off of our crowd’s energy, we’re going to be fine.”
Chris Dempsey: 303-954-1279 or cdempsey@denverpost.com
