Enes Kanter’s Top Five Games With OKC
By Evan Riggs
April 13 vs. Portland Trail Blazers
With 27 points and 13 rebounds in a must-win game against a western conference playoff game, this was Kanter’s most impressive performance of the season.
But, you have to consider the circumstances of the game. The Thunder had just lost a heartbreaker to the Indiana Pacers, and one more loss would have eliminated them from playoff contention.
With that pressure in mind, Kanter, along with Westbrook, set the tone in the first quarter. Kanter was crashing the glass early, and he finished the game with six offensive rebounds. His effort seemed to rub off on his teammates, as the Thunder outrebounded the Blazers 58-35.
Offensively, it was the same story for Kanter. He was knocking down midrange jump shots with ease, and with his superior footwork, Meyers Leonard and Robin Lopez (who just got four years and $54 million from the New York Knicks as a defensive anchor), could not stop him in the low post.
Even though LaMarcus Aldridge did not play, OKC was without Kevin Durant and Serge Ibaka so the teams were pretty evenly matched. In a game OKC had to win, Kanter was the only one besides Westbrook to play well offensively and was a huge reason for the win.
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