The Only Way Kevin Durant Leaves The Oklahoma City Thunder

The Oklahoma City Thunder lost to the Golden State Warriors in Game 5, but the only way they lose Kevin Durant is if they fall apart in the next two games.

As the clock wound down on the Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant looked on from the bench. He didn’t look worried, just unhappy that the chance to bring his team within a possession at the end of the game had slipped through his fingers.

With 40.7 seconds left, Russell Westbrook converted a layup and was fouled to put him at the free throw line. The score was 114-108. After he missed the and-one attempt, he recovered his miss and passed the ball to Durant, who had 40 points, for one of his best looks of the night to pull the Thunder within three points.

Durant caught the ball in rhythm, rose up, and shot…

Clang.

The ball careened off the rim, and with it went the Thunder’s hope of winning Game 5. The players were surely disappointed, and who can blame them? They were this close to ousting the defending champions, coming off of a record setting regular season, in five games.

News flash: The Warriors had to fight tooth and nail just to eek out this game in their own house, and they have yet to figure out how to beat the Thunder at Chesapeake Energy Arena in the playoffs. The Thunder have a distinct advantage at home, and while the Warriors did win there during the regular season, they needed overtime to do so.

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It stands to reason that the Thunder still have the momentum, and while they didn’t get the kind of performance they wanted while at Oracle Arena, playing at home will be the breath of fresh air they need.

Even with a weak performance by the Thunder bench (13 total points, 10 coming from Anthony Morrow), the Thunder were still within two possessions. Even with the Warriors shooting 31-of-34 from the free throw line, an unsustainable number if they want to play Andrew Bogut or Festus Ezeli, the Thunder were still within striking distance.

That said, there will always be cause for concern.

Durant has always been confident in his own abilities, but he has never been shy to admit how much he needs Westbrook to be successful. The explosive point guard put up another 31 points in the contest, and while he had seven turnovers, his seven rebounds, eight assists, and five steals more than made up for it.

The two have formed an incredible playoff duo. They have combined for at least 53 points in four of the five contests and are often the assist leaders as well. Westbrook in particular has had an incredible season, and he has proven to NBA circles that Durant isn’t the only superstar in OKC.

That being said, they have had to scrounge for a third wheel. No player has consistently stepped up to relieve enough pressure from the two stars. Sometimes Serge Ibaka is good enough, but his rim protection disappeared in Game 5 when the team needed it most.

Steven Adams and Enes Kanter were the duo to provide support in the series against the San Antonio Spurs, but so far, only Adams has had a consistent impact. Kanter played a mere six minutes last night, and the $16 million per year center put up a single point, two rebounds, and did little to change the game.

Andre Roberson was the difference in Game 4, and while his defense has been a wonder to watch, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are just too good offensively. Dion Waiters has improved his performance in the playoffs, but he put up a goose egg on the scoreboard in Game 5.

It is very possible that the exceptional performances of the Thunder’s complementary players are just that: an exception. The ancillary pieces are becoming difficult to rely on as the playoffs wear on, and as Durant and Westbrook bear more responsibility, they become less effective.

If the Thunder do not win Game 6, it will probably be because the Warriors did more of the same in what they did in Game 5: let the two stars get to the midrange area and no further. Both are very effective there, but if the Warriors can hold them to under 50 percent from the in-between zone, then it will be a successful defensive possession.

Any time the Warriors can force the ball to Roberson or Waiters on the perimeter, they will live with the results. Even Ibaka on the outside doesn’t scare Steve Kerr‘s gang quite like Durant or Westbrook. Andre Iguodala in particular has done a wonderful job at forcing Durant to take tough shots, because the alternative is to ask others to go outside of their comfort zone.

If the Thunder duo cannot handle the load in Game 6, then Game 7 will bring all of the momentum back to Golden State. The Warriors are a team built on momentum, and once Curry and Co. find an opportunity, they don’t miss.

If the Thunder advance to the NBA Finals, the likelihood of Durant leaving the Thunder in free agency is slim to none, and slim just walked out the door. The last time a player as high profile as Durant left his team was LeBron James, and he didn’t have the supporting cast Durant does.

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James’ Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the Boston Celtics in six games in the Eastern conference semi-finals, and it seemed impossible for James to win a championship with his home town team. He had the opportunity to join forces in Miami with not only two other All-Stars, but two of his best friends in Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

Durant has no such opportunity with players he is truly friendly with. His best friends are the ones he’s made in Oklahoma. It’s possible that he might want to reunite with James Harden in Houston, but it doesn’t make any sense. Boston and Isaiah Thomas? Possible, but doubtful.

The rumors of Golden State and San Antonio pursuing Durant this offseason come with the caveat that the rosters would appear much different when Durant finally joins due to his max contract. There would never be a guarantee of a championship with such shallow depth, nor a guarantee that Durant would enjoy the atmosphere.

More hoops habit: Golden State Warriors: 5 Takeaways From Game 5 vs. Thunder

The best situation for Durant will always be in Oklahoma City with Russell Westbrook as his copilot, but if the rest of the supporting cast fails, and the Thunder go home before the NBA Finals, then Durant might feel the need to take his talents elsewhere.