3 Best OKC Thunder Christmas Day performances
By Ivan White
2. Christmas 2010 - KD drops 44 on the Nuggets in the Thunder’s first Christmas game
It’s Dec. 25, 2010, and the Thunder just played their first playoff series against the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers a few months earlier. The young trio of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden are all about to take the floor on Christmas for the first time.
While those three have combined for more than 30 appearances on Christmas since, Durant’s big night would lead them to their first win on the big day.
With Carmelo Anthony out for the Nuggets, the spotlight was on Durant in the first Christmas game in the ‘Peake.
But the Nuggets got out to a double-digit lead in the first half before the Thunder made their way back into the game.
As one of the most skilled scorers the game has ever seen, Oklahoma City’s superstar forward got to his spots all over the floor but was particularly lethal in the mid-range. Add in four 3-pointers, and Durant’s points quickly added up.
A 21-point third quarter from the future MVP helped the Thunder pull ahead going into the fourth quarter, where he would nail a digger three from the right wing in the closing minutes to win 114-106.
Oklahoma City would get well-acquainted with Denver later that season, getting its first playoff series win against those Nuggets to start a run to the Western Conference Finals.