Kevin Durant

SAN ANTONIO: Kevin during sitting quietly in the visitors locker room, his eyes closed, a pair of coils of headphones in her ears and head down. It is less than two hours before the Oklahoma City Thunder would face to the San Antonio Spurs in game 5 crucial to the Western Conference finals, and the D.C. native was the image of the calm before the storm.

During and Oklahoma City won a competition for the wire 108-103 for a series of 3-2 lead. The Thunder had reduced to silence much criticism that predicts that more experienced Spurs could travel on them, especially after San Antonio won the first two decisive games.

Spurs had no expectations that this series would be easy, mainly because during.

"It is always a threat," Spurs guard Manu Ginobili said during. "It is very easy for him to mark, that whenever he blinks with, he can get seven, nine points in a minute." We have seen what has happened in 4 games. We know has what kind of talent. "He is the best player of the world or at the top of the page three or five."

During, eventually the most humble NBA Superstar, almost red in the praise, not that it did not become accustomed to hear.

"It is a player talented but very hard work," said Thunder coach Scott Brooks. "It works as she has no talent." He works hard every day, only to try to be part of the team. It is their mentality, and how much improved in the last five years.

In five seasons, during a compiled a list of honours which would be the envy of any former veteran of 10 años-very - rating time champion, Rookie of the year (2008), three times All - Star Game, three times first team all-Star Game MVP (2012).

But what find me fuel for even more than individual honors with countless success of the team and knowing that victory Monday increased the chances of Thunder to win the NBA title this season. The Thunder will try to close the series Wednesday night at home.

"Never thought that we were supposed to wait our turn," said during. "We always wanted take each match." Coach [Brooks] always insists that every occasion when I step on the floor is an excellent opportunity to improve and grow and fight to our dream. Need to just maintain the pressure. "We have a long way to go yet."

Five victories is exactly how long should go to the Larry trophy or ' O'Brien. But during, the best part of this trip is the people who shares with.

Mother during, Wanda Pratt, is a regular in the Thunder games during the often seen giving him a kiss after the games. Raised by Pratt and his grandmother, Barbara Davis, family during the is still superior in mind - even when he pursues his first NBA title. Monday, it is his uncle Tyrone who occupied his thoughts.

"My uncle is in the hospital, and I wanted to win this game for him, said during." It is a bit sick today and all that I can say we wanted to win for him tonight. "" It was to see me when he was a child and weighed heavy on me, so I wanted to just play my more difficult for him. " »

He said that coach Gregg Popovich Spurs called perhaps the best player in the game, during, typically, he resisted the compliment.

"Well, thank you, but it is [Popovich] tried to draw his team," said during. "Popovich is long and I am really grateful, but I must just keep and continue to receive the best where you want to be."

Where you want to which he is holding the NBA Championship trophy and reach, hit on a couple of franchises of the elite in the process, is still something during kept in perspective.