Oklahoma City Thunder: Kevin Durant dominates when OKC needs him in win over Mavericks

It started with seven minutes remaining in the third quarter. Serge Ibaka, who served as Durants' super sidekick with 19 points, 17 rebounds and five blocks, turned it over at one end. Dallas got the ball to guard Darren Collison, who jetted the other way for a breakaway layup. Durant, though, came flying in to swat the attempt against the backboard before hauling in the rebound. He then streaked the other way and slammed in a ferocious dunk over Mavs center Chris Kaman.

“That was probably my favorite play,” Durant said of the sequence.

Amazingly, in the overtime period Durant didn't score a single point.

“I guess I ran out of gas,” he said.

Enough had been done to hand the Thunder momentum. Oklahoma City outscored Dallas 13-7 in the extra frame.

Durant scored 13 in the fourth quarter, helping the Thunder come back from an 11-point third-quarter deficit to nearly win in regulation. With 1:57 remaining in the fourth quarter, Durant hit a jump hook over Vince Carter from the right block to give the Thunder a 96-95 lead, its first since 8-7 early in the opening quarter. Durant then hit two free throws with 3.7 seconds to bump the Thunder's lead to three.

Collison responded by hitting an improbable, catch-and-shoot, one-legged 3-pointer at the fourth-quarter buzzer to send the game to overtime.

The Thunder trailed by as many as three points inside the final three minutes of overtime. And after Westbrook took over, Durant ducked quietly out of Chesapeake Energy Arena, content with his mission long being completed.

“I always trust my teammates,” Durant said. “And they came up big.”