Kevin Durant fires 50 points to lead Golden State Warriors to series-clinching win over LA Clippers
Watch Houston Rockets @ Golden State Warriors Game 1 live on skysports.com, Sky Sports mobile app, Youtube and Sky Sports Arena on Sunday at 8:30pm
Thursday 16 April 2020 13:28, UK
Kevin Durant racked up a playoff career-high 50 points, including 38 in the first half, to lead the Golden State Warriors to a series-clinching 129-110 Game 6 over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Durant's first-half haul matched a record held by Charles Barkley, who scored 38 of his 56 points in the first half of a postseason game 25 years earlier to help the Phoenix Suns finish off a first-round playoff sweep of the Warriors.
He also became the fourth Warriors player to record a 50-point game in the playoffs.
After posting 15 points on 6-for-9 shooting in the opening quarter, Durant erupted to score Golden State's first 16 points of the second as the Warriors' lead expanded to 51-42 with 5:30 left in the half.
His 29ft three-pointer with 34.3 seconds left in the half gave Golden State a 19-point lead and the Warriors took a 72-53 lead into the break.
Durant was simply unstoppable in the first and second quarters, showcasing his full offensive repertoire with fast-break dunks, pull-up three-pointers, turnaround and fadeaway jump shots.
With the game well in hand, Durant took his foot off the accelerator in the second half, adding 12 more points. He finished the game with 50 points on 15-of-26 shooting (including 6-of-14 from three-point range), six rebounds, five assists, a block and a steal.
Durant finished the series averaging 35.0 points per game on 56.7 per cent shooting and 3.0 three-pointers per game on a 40.0 shooting percentage. He made 56 of his 59 free throws in the series (94.9 per cent).
Speaking on court after the game, Durant said: "I'm just out there playing. I'm so lost in the game I'm not thinking about anything else. It's tough to explain."
Asked about the next opponents, the Houston Rockets, Durant said: "They are a talented ball club with a lot of high IQ players. They defend well, shoot the basketball well and penetrate. We've got our work cut out for us."
Click the video at the top of the page to watch Durant's spectacular 50-point display.
The Warriors host the Houston Rockets in Game 1 on the Western Conference semi-finals, live on skysports.com, Sky Sports mobile app, Sky Sports' YouTube channel and Sky Sports Arena on Sunday at 8:30pm (UK time).
