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Kevin Durant and Bol Bol's fourth quarter shootout provided plenty of highlights in Nets win over Magic

Benyam Kidane

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Kevin Durant and Bol Bol's fourth quarter shootout provided plenty of highlights in Nets win over Magic image

Kevin Durant put on a show at Barclays Center, dropping a season-high 45 points to lead the Nets to a 109-102 win over the Magic.

On the second night of a back-to-back, Durant played 39 minutes and shot an ultra-efficient 19-of-24 from the field, adding seven rebounds, five assists, and two steals, two blocks to bring the Nets to .500 (11-11) on the season.

While all eyes were on the matchup between Durant and No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero, who finished with 24 points, four rebounds, five assists, and two steals, it was another Orlando big man who stole the show. 

Enter Bol Bol. 

The 7-foot-2 center has been enjoying a breakout campaign for the Magic this season and with the game in the balance down the stretch, the 23-year-old had an answer for Durant on multiple occasions, finishing 24 points of his own on 10-of-15 from the field. 

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A mobile 7-footer with a silky jumper....sound familiar?

"He's unique," Durant said postgame.

"He's tough to deal with and you see his confidence growing by the game, he can pretty much do everything on the basketball court.

"I love what Jamahl [Mosley] is doing with him over there, putting him at the point sometimes, playing him at the five, just moving him around because he's such a versatile player." 

Bol Bol was doing his best Durant impersonation tonight, scoring seven of his 24 points in the fourth quarter on 3-of-4 shooting. 

Early in the fourth, he spun into the lane and got his shot off, following up the miss for an emphatic two-handed flush.

Point Bol has quickly become one of the most entertaining players in the league, with his ability to handle the ball at his size and on the Magic's next possession, he knifed into the Nets' defense and found Admiral Schofield for an open triple in the corner. 

Just a couple of minutes later, Durant followed up a corner triple with a "you reach, I teach" moment, draining the tough fadeaway from the right wing. 

Not to be outdone, Bol Bol responded, eurostepping his way into the lane, getting the shot off over Nic Claxton and Durant. 

A Gary Harris layup cut the deficit back to four points, before Durant went to work, draining the smooth pull-up pull-up jumper.

....and another

Despite Durant's best efforts to put the game away, Bol Bol wasn't done there, coolly approaching the 3-point line above the break in transition to bury the pull-up triple. 

Sure, the Durant comparisons are probably unfair to Bol Bol, who is uniquely carving out his own role on this Magic team, but it's hard to ignore two seven-footers smoothly trading jumpers in crunchtime, perfectly illustrating today's NBA game. 

"It's great for the league, I think you'll start to see him continue to be more and more of an impact player as time goes on, he's playing well this year," Durant added. 

Benyam Kidane

Benyam Kidane Photo

Benyam Kidane is a senior NBA editor and has been covering the league for The Sporting News since 2016. In his spare time you can find him watching Allen Iverson highlights on repeat.