04-29-2012
http://www.usatoday.com, OKLAHOMA CITY (AP)
He scored 25 points and hit the winning jumper from the foul line with 1.5 seconds left to give the Thunder a 99-98 victory over the Mavericks on Saturday night in Game 1 of the first-round playoff series a rematch of last year's Western Conference finals.
The Thunder trailed by seven with 2½ minutes left before rallying to take the first step toward avenging a 4-1 series loss a year ago.
"It's the playoffs," Durant said. "No matter how it gets done, you've got to do it."
With his team trailing by one late in the fourth quarter, he forced his way toward the lane and found himself with defenders closing in and the clock winding down.
Durant maneuvered to the free throw line and got off a high-arcing shot over Shawn Marion that hit off the front of the rim and then off the backboard before falling through the net.
The defending NBA champion Mavericks, who were out of timeouts, could not get a shot off before the buzzer.
