With two weeks left in the NBA season, Kevin Durant is on the verge of his fourth consecutive NBA scoring title — he is averaging 28.3 points a game.
But with 90 points in his last two games (on 60 percent shooting), Carmelo Anthony has moved close to taking the lead — he’s at 28.1 points per game. (Kobe Bryant is third at 27; he’s not catching them.)
So is Durant protective of his crown? No, pretty much the opposite he told Jeff Caplan of NBA.com.
“He can have it,” Durant said flatly after OKC’s Thursday morning shootaround….
“I mean the stuff he’s doing right now, every time he touches the ball it looks like it’s going to go in,” Durant said. “He’s having a nice run right now and his confidence is high. I’m sure he’s going to take over. If it happens, cool.”
If Durant wins this year he joins a club with Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain of players to win it more than three years in a row. Which considering this is just Durant’s sixth NBA season is ridiculous. And it’s not like Durant is going to try to tank it here, he wouldn’t mind winning.
But what Durant really wants is a postseason run and a ring. Durant came close last year and
Anthony, who has a trophy case of personal accomplishments but not many playoff wins, is more focused on the postseason as well. Leading New York deep into the playoffs — the Eastern Conference finals and beyond — would help grow his reputation and legacy as a leader not just a scorer.
