Kevin Durant's display against Knicks reminiscent of MVP season

Steven J. Gaither

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Kevin Durant's display against Knicks reminiscent of MVP season image

Kevin Durant wasn't going to let his team lose both games in New York City during its current road trip. 

Durant was sensational in leading the Thunder to a 128-122 overtime victory over the Knicks on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden. He scored a season-high 44 points and grabbed 14 rebounds two nights after OKC's disappointing loss to the Nets in Brooklyn.

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Durant also forced overtime with a game-tying jumper with 16 seconds remaining in regulation. 

Two of his points came on a nasty crossover and drive against rookie Kristaps Porzingis, whom Durant affectionately called a "unicorn" because of the Latvian's athletic ability. 

Stephen Curry is the clear front-runner for MVP at the moment, but Durant is nearing MVP levels. He's averaging 27.1 points per game while shooting 50.5 percent from the field. He's also averaging 7.9 rebounds — just over his career average. 

Injuries limited Durant to 27 games last season, so seeing him play this well is a treat.

Stud of the night

The Pacers couldn’t get past the Clippers, but the Clippers weren’t very successful stopping Paul George. The All-Star forward had 31 points and 11 rebounds in his team’s 91-89 loss. Chris Paul led the Clippers with 26 points, six rebounds and seven assists.

Dud of the night

The Suns had a chance for back-to-back wins as they faced the Sixers in Philly. Instead, they fell for a second straight time to the 76ers. Philadelphia's 113-103 victory was just its seventh of the season.

Tweet of the night 

Dirk Nowitzki nailed a go-ahead jumper with 2.1 seconds left that gave his Mavericks a 92-90 win over Kobe Bryant's Lakers. Bryant, who sat out the game, did what he was supposed to do. He recognized game. 

The NBA's critics say there are too many games, that an 82-game regular season isn't compelling. And, yeah, when you watch teams like the 76ers and Suns every night, the action can often be mundane. But then you get moments like this. 

Two all-time greats. Two champions. That's what makes the NBA great.

Looking ahead

Rockets (25-22) at Spurs (38-7), 8 p.m. ET: The Rockets will be looking for their fourth win in a row as they try to climb out of their early-season hole. The Spurs will be looking to bounce back from a humiliating loss against the Warriors on Monday. They’ll also be looking to avenge their Christmas Day loss to their in-state rivals. 

Steven J. Gaither