SEATTLE — The sinewy, 19-year-old kid and his 21-year-old sidekick showed why Seattle-area sports fans should fight to keep this team and its 41-year tradition in town for at least another season.
Seattle rookies Kevin Durant and Jeff Green shined in a Sunday evening game that had a rowdy KeyArena crowd of 13,104 on its feet for most of the contest.
Playing against a team battling for its playoff life in the Denver Nuggets, the Sonics gutted out a 151-147 double-overtime win, hurting Denver’s hopes of earning the final seed in the Western Conference playoffs.
Durant finished with career-highs of 37 points and nine assists, along with eight rebounds. Green scored a career-high 35 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
Seattle snapped a five-game losing streak with the win.
“The ball was just finding me,” Green said. “My teammates were making plays and I was able to finish them.”
Even more impressive, the Sonics’ performance came against a team that had beaten Seattle (18-59) the first three times this season by an average of 37 points.
“They both played great, obviously,” said Nick Collison about the two rookies. Collison didn’t have a bad game himself, finishing with 19 points and 14 boards. “I think Jeff (Green) lately has been figuring out how he’s going to play. He’s tough inside, but he’s getting better facing the basket. “And Kevin’s (Durant) had the green light all year, but the last couple months he’s been a lot more efficient. He’s taking better shots. You can tell they’re both learning how to play.”
Durant hit clutch 3-pointers at the end of regulation and in the first overtime to extend the game for Seattle.
At the end of regulation with Seattle down 126-123 with 25.1 seconds left, Durant curled around a solid Collison screen to elude Carmelo Anthony, draining a jumper from the top of the circle to tie the game at 126-all
Anthony’s 15-footer from baseline bounced long and Luke Ridnour chased down the rebound to run the clock out.
And at the end of the first overtime Durant was magical again, burying a 25-footer to tie the game at 135-all after Ridnour penetrated, drew the defense and found Durant at the top of the key.
Durant finished 11-of-24 from the floor, and was a perfect 13-of-13 from the free-throw line
“To be honest with you, I thought both of them were off,” Durant said about the game-tying 3-pointers. Durant’s performance followed Friday’s game against Houston where he finishg 2-of-17 from the field and scored a career-low four points. “I didn’t shoot well last game, but I came in yesterday (Saturday) and got some shots and I got the opportunity to tie the game up twice. Thankfully they both went in.”
Seattle got strong point guard play from Earl Watson and Ridnour. Ridnour finished with a season-high 19 points and dished out eight assists off the bench. And Earl Watson was just as effective, totaling 16 points and 11 assists.
In the second overtime Seattle built a 144-139 cushion and held on by making free throws at the end of the game.
Anthony led Denver (46-31), now tied with Golden State for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, with a game-high 38 points and 11 rebounds. Allen Iverson finished with 26 points, 13 assists and four steals. Every Denver player that saw action finished in double figures.
Seattle now takes to the road, playing at Dallas on Tuesday, at Houston on Wednesday and at San Antonio on Friday.
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