As the long awaited 2013 NBA Preseason schedule kicked of this Saturday in Istanbul, Turkey, it appears as if 3 time NBA scoring champ Kevin Durant has picked up right where he left off last season.
Straddled with the recent news that All Star point guard Russell Westbrook will be out an additional 4-6 weeks due to another knee surgery to fix a loosened staple, Durant took it upon himself in their “friendly” match-up against European power Fenerbahce Ulker, leading the Thunder to a 95-82 exhibition opening win.
KD scored a game high 24 points, plus 8 rebounds, outplaying European sharpshooter Bojan Bogdanovich, a Brooklyn Nets draft pick in 2011, who had 19 points, as the Thunder overcame a shaky start to earn a victory.
Reggie Jackson, starting in place of the injured Westbrook, had 9 points and 5 assists, while forward Serge Ibaka added 15 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 blocks, but most Thunder fans probably kept a close eye of 2nd year guard Jeremy Lamb(9 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast), who will take over the reigns as the team’s 3rd option, following James Harden and Kevin Martin before him.
While the Thunder will next take on the undermanned Philadelphia 76ers this Tuesday from the United Kingdom, all everyone kept talking about, besides Kendrick Perkins’ grotesquely dislocated ring finger, was Durant’s vicious dunk from the left elbow, that brought back memories of Dr. J’s and Michael Jordan’s legendary free throw line dunk from way back…….
Kevin Durant’s Vicious Elbow Dunk From Turkey:
Allen Moll has been a lifelong NBA and NCAA College Basketball fan who watches and studies games religiously, and coaches youth basketball in his native Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania. Allen has also provided content to Bleacherreport.com, Upperdeckblog.com, Cleveland.com, CSN Philly.com, Buckets Magazine, in addition to being a tenured NBA and NCAA columnist for TheHoopDoctors.com.
