OAKLAND, Calif. — A couple of hours before Game 2 of the N.B.A. finals, I watched Kevin Durant go through a balletic exercise.
The latest superstar addition to the Golden State Warriors balanced on one foot about 18 feet from the basket. An assistant tossed a basketball at him, which he caught without losing his balance. Then, still on one foot, he shot at the basket.
Durant hit about 80 percent of those shots.
The casual nature of this exercise was breathtaking, and it gave me a visual context for an exchange early in the fourth quarter on Sunday night.