In the most anticipated matchup of the summer during the NBA lockout, the result came down to a clash of Oklahoma City Thunder teammates on Saturday night.
Kevin Durant of the D.C.-based Goodman League confounded James Harden of the Los Angeles-based Drew League in their head-to-head matchup before about 1,600 in a sold-out gym at Trinity College. But it was Durant's defense that sealed the 135-134 victory as the 6-10 forward, with a five-inch height advantage, blocked Harden's game-winning shot attempt at the buzzer.
Durant finished with a game-high 44 points and earned Most Valuable Player honors.
Harden and Brandon Jennings (Milwaukee Bucks) led the Drew squad back from a 16-point deficit in the third quarter.
This game had a heightened profile because more players are participating in pro-am leagues with the lockout that began July 1.
"The Drew League is one of the top leagues. The Goodman League is one of the top leagues. Lockout or not, it would've gotten the same kind of interest," said Goodman commissioner Miles Rawls.
Goodman point guard John Wall (Washington Wizards) was happy just to be on a court.
"It's not about money. We love to play basketball," he said. "(It's important) to give the fans that don't have the opportunity to come to the Verizon Center and see us play to come out here and watch us."
Best highlight: Durant gave Goodman its first basket in spectacular fashion. Trailing 5-0, Wall found the slashing Durant as he caught the lob and threw down a powerful, two-handed dunk over Harden.
Best crossover: There were several from Durant that left Harden stuck in his tracks on the perimeter, but Wall paralyzed the defense in the open court with his dribble as his team led 40-34 after the first quarter.
Spark plug: Jennings was determined to win as he scored a team-high 34 points. He was fired up late in the second quarter, shouting at officials for not calling a foul on his missed layup attempt. It continued after a late whistle bailed out DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento Kings). It was the play of Jennings that changed the pace and tone of the game. The 6-1 point guard sparked a 7-0 run to end the third with his drives to the basket, scoring under, around and past the 6-10 Cousins and Durant. During a fast-break sequence when Drew center JaVale McGee (Washington Wizards) failed to give up the ball, Jennings was noticeably agitated.
Unheralded: Marcus Banks, who has played eight seasons in the NBA for five different teams and averaged 5.9 points for his career, helped spark at 19-2 run for the Drew squad. His three-point shooting helped close double-digit deficits late in the third and early in the fourth quarters. Banks last played for the Toronto Raptors.
No-contest: Cousins jostled inside with McGee. Cousins was just too strong as he muscled McGee off during a key second-quarter stretch on consecutive possessions for easy dunks. Cousins, whose conditioning was a major question mark entering his rookie season last year, appeared trim and in good shape.
Puzzling: Every time Cousins made a play, the announcer would sing his praises by calling him "Bad Attitude." Cousins, a rookie last season, was fined by the Kings for fighting with a teammate on a plane and unsportsmanlike behavior during a game.
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