#KD AND LEBRON STATS SERIES#

So far, Durant going to Golden State hasn’t changed that, but it’s possible it could. The two even worked out together months after the 2012 series, and they both readily acknowledge how good the other is at this sport. In the years since, it has been more of the same. “So we pushed each other each and every day.”

#KD AND LEBRON STATS SERIES#

“He was a little upset about the series in Dallas, where they got eliminated by Dallas, and I was as well,” James told reporters before the finals. They even found common ground, since both had lost to the Mavericks in the playoffs the year before. Instead of taking shots or refusing to acknowledge the other, Durant and James mostly showed respect. But in what is becoming a trend, James was even better: He averaged about 29 points on the series while shooting 47 percent from the floor, all while recording 10 rebounds and more than seven assists per game. Even after the Heat marched to a five-game series win for James’ first championship, it seemed like a lock that Oklahoma City would be back.ĭurant was incredible in that series, too, averaging nearly 31 points on 55 percent shooting. Many thought the 2012 Finals between Oklahoma City and Miami might kick off a heated rivalry between James and Durant. Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images The two players aren’t the rivals we thought they would be in 2012. But with the way James played in those games, it’s not a huge surprise, either. It may just be good fortune that the Heat beat the Thunder so many times when they were both at their peaks, since many of the games did come down to the final minute or two. We’ve seen it the past two finals, but it happens during the regular season against the right opponents, too. We know James has another level he can take his game to in the toughest circumstances, too. Even before Oklahoma City emerged as a perennial playoff team, James dropped 44 and 37 points on them in the two regular season games they played during the 2009-10 season. There haven’t really been any blowouts, where James might defer more often and/or sit earlier. The Thunder have provided a challenge for James, whether he was in Miami or Cleveland. In the two players’ 17 regular season games, James is averaging 29.4 points on 52 percent shooting from the floor and 38 percent from behind the three-point line, while putting up seven rebounds, seven assists, and 2.2 steals per game. There’s only one franchise (Boston) that James averages more points against than Oklahoma City throughout his career, and Durant has received most of that punishment. Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images LeBron James plays even more incredibly against Durant. Until then, we can at least explain why James has such a decisive edge. The Cavaliers play in Golden State on Jan. Now that Durant is in Golden State, you’d think the tides could turn in what has been mostly a one-sided rivalry. The Cleveland Cavaliers were always excellent during the regular season back when Durant was on the SuperSonics his first year in the league, so it would make sense that James beat Durant in every matchup back then. James’ teams have all been elite, of course. It happened six straight times to start his career (although KD did beat the Cavaliers his rookie season in a game James didn’t play in), and James is now on a five-game win streak against Durant. Still, his teams consistently lose to James’. He averages 29.4 points when playing James on 48 percent shooting, to go with nearly seven rebounds and about 3.5 assists. That makes Durant 4-18 in his career now against LeBron James. It has been nearly three years since Kevin Durant beat LeBron James in a head-to-head matchup, a streak that was extended on Christmas Day when the Cavaliers topped Golden State and the newly acquired Durant on a Kyrie Irving buzzer beater.

Kd and lebron stats