Ranking the 5 worst losses of Kevin Durant's NBA career so far

Kevin Durant #7 of the Brooklyn Nets
Kevin Durant #7 of the Brooklyn Nets

#3 28-point loss against the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the 2014 WCF

Kevin Durant #35 of the Oklahoma City Thunder shoots two points as Kawhi Leonard #2 of the San Antonio Spurs tries to block
Kevin Durant #35 of the Oklahoma City Thunder shoots two points as Kawhi Leonard #2 of the San Antonio Spurs tries to block

Kevin Durant's nine-year run with the OKC Thunder did not result in much success as he failed to hoist the famed Larry O'Brien trophy during his time there. In 2014, they had a shot at advancing to the NBA Finals for the second time in two years but fell short.

The Thunder had a solid squad, including Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka, Kendrick Perkins and Kevin Durant himself, but could not hold off the Spurs. They managed to tie the series after losing Games 1 and 2, but the Spurs were not having it.

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Led by Tim Duncan, they came in gun-blazing in Game 5 to suppress any hope of an inspired comeback in the minds of Thunder players. It was a blowout victory for the Spurs as they ended the game with a 28-point margin and eventually closed out the series in Game 6.


#2 35-point loss against the San Antonio Spurs in Game 2 of the 2014 NBA WCF

Manu Ginobili #20 of the San Antonio Spurs
Manu Ginobili #20 of the San Antonio Spurs

The Thunder reached the Eastern Conference finals again but got off to a poor start. After losing Game 1 at the AT&T Center, the Spurs chose to pile on the pressure with an emphatic victory in Game 2 to go 2-0 up in the series.

The San Antonio Spurs won the game by 35 points on a night where nothing was dropping for Kevin Durant. He made five attempts from beyond the arc but could not sink any. He ended the game with 15 points on 6 of 16 shooting from the field.

So far in Kevin Durant's career, that 35-point loss represents his biggest losing margin in the playoffs. Although they bounced back and won the next two games, they ultimately lost the series.


#1 27-point loss against the Golden State Warriors in Game 2 of the 2016 NBA WCF

Oklahoma City Thunder vs Golden State Warriors
Oklahoma City Thunder vs Golden State Warriors

The significance of this loss is the reason it's ranked No. 1 despite the margin not being as wide. It was a defining moment in Kevin Durant's career as it was one of the last games he played with the Thunder.

Shortly after the series loss to the 73-9 Warriors, Kevin Durant joined them in the 2016 offseason, making him one of the most hated basketball players, at least in the eyes of Thunder fans. It was doubly upsetting for the fans because that was the team that prevented them from being in the 2016 NBA Finals.

It was Kevin Durant's second most-effective game in terms of shooting accuracy during the playoffs. He shot 61% from the field and ended the game with 29 points. Sadly, it was also his worst game in terms of protecting the ball, as he conceded the ball eight times.

The game ended in a 118-91 victory for the Warriors, even though Kevin Durant was the highest scorer in the matchup. The Warriors bench made the difference as three rotation players recorded double-digits in points.

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Edited by Arnav Kholkar
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