The defending champion Dallas Mavericks couldn’t catch a break against Kevin Durant, who hit his second game-winner against them in the 2011-12 season. This time around, it was during game 1 of the first round of the playoffs.
Dallas was ready to steal home court, being up 98-97 with 9 seconds remaining in the game. Russell Westbrook took his time inbounding, with Durant getting squeezed out of a post-up. KD eventually got the ball by racing up towards mid-court. Durant drove right, but was stifled by Shawn Marion. Kevin then backed down and spun right, giving him just enough space for a pull-up from the free-throw line. Mavericks Guard Dominique Jones tried to close out alongside Marion, but neither could reach Durant’s 7’5″ wingspan. The ball hit the front rim, then the backboard before dropping through the net.
1.5 seconds still remained but the raucous Chesapeake Energy Arena crowd drowned out any Mavericks play call. With no timeouts, Marion couldn’t even get a shot off at half-court, giving OKC the W.
The sneakers Kevin Durant wore for this highlight was the Nike KD 4. These shoes were a hit with sneakerheads as the glossy Hypefuse uppers served as a canvas for crazy prints like pearls, a weather-map, and Nerf-colored styling. The low-cut design carried over from the 3. This combines with the Zoom Air unit in the forefoot for a quick and responsive ride.
KD rocked a white and blue version of his 4th signature shoe for this moment. This was originally a PE but was released in 2018 under the Think 16 playoff project. This colorway can be found here.
You can find other Nike KD 4 colorways at StockX, GOAT, Flight Club, and Stadium Goods.
Cover image via Yahoo
