SALT LAKE CITY — For more than 3½ quarters of Friday night's game, Utah's strong defensive effort made Oklahoma City superstar Kevin Durant look pretty darned ordinary.
And then in the final four minutes and 19 seconds of a tight contest, Durant showed just how extraordinary he truly can be.
The Thunder's 6-foot-9 forward, a former league MVP and four-time scoring champ, scored his team's last 11 points during that 4:19 span, repeatedly turning back Utah's valiant comeback bid with clutch shot after clutch shot in OKC's 94-90 victory at Vivint Arena.
Durant, who had just 10 points entering the game's final 4-plus minutes, wound up with 21 to go along with eight rebounds, three assists, two steals and a blocked shot — another masterful performance from one of the game's all-time greats.