Kevin Durant’s knee injury midway through the season spoiled what could have been an MVP caliber year for the 33-year-old, who has a chance to become the first Nets player to average 30 points per game for a season.
Per ESPN Stats and Info, Durant is currently averaging 30.55 points per game, and needs 27 points against the Pacers to average 30 for the year.
Durant has averaged 30+ points per game twice previously, in 2009-10 and 2013-14, both with the Thunder.
There is a catch, however. Since Durant has missed so many games this season, he will not meet the minimum game threshold to qualify in the scoring title race, and therefore won’t be recognized among the league’s top scorers. The official league leader is Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid, at 30.4 points per game.
With 36 pts Friday, Kevin Durant bumped up his season scoring average to 30.0555 PPG
Assuming he plays in the Nets regular season finale, Durant would need 27 pts to clinch 30 PPG. He would be the first player in Nets history to average 30 PPG pic.twitter.com/pZbnXVjNa8
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 9, 2022
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