727: Unfamiliar Old Adversary

Durant had been looking forward to this game. He had thought he could use it to send the scorching-hot Link crashing back down to earth.

But from the moment the game began, when Link toyed with him using that sudden crossover, things had started developing far beyond Durant's expectations.

Link's beautiful blow-by on the very first possession planted fear in Durant's heart.

He and Link had been battling for four seasons. In nearly every season, both sides had done everything they could to destroy the other. He thought he knew Link inside and out, knew his opponent inside and out. There should have been no secrets left in their battles; victory or defeat should have depended entirely on execution and willpower.

Yet right from the start of this game, Link felt especially unfamiliar to Durant. His dribbling posture, his changes of rhythm... every movement Link made was outside Durant's expectations.

Having a familiar opponent suddenly beat him with unfamiliar methods left Durant deeply unsettled. It was as frightening as an old married couple of more than a decade suddenly realizing one day that the other had become a stranger.

What had changed about Link? How exactly had he gotten past him? Durant's mind was now full of question marks.

"Kevin, move! We're on offense!"

Westbrook sped past Durant with the ball and shouted at him, finally snapping Durant back to his senses.

The last time these two teams had fought down to the final moment, it hadn't been Durant's doing alone. The Thunder's outstanding team performance—especially Westbrook's excellent play—had been the main reason they could battle the Grizzlies to the bitter end.

But today, the Grizzlies clearly had no intention of making things so difficult again.

The fact that Iguodala had taken the initiative to guard Westbrook showed that the