Kevin Durant only looked better after a day off for an apparent shoulder injury. The Oklahoma City Thunder star sat out the team's game against the Boston Celtics after spraining his right shoulder. However, the injury had little effects on his shooting abilities as he returned to put up 32 points against the Philadelphia 76ers. Currently on a streak of 10-straight games of 30 points or more, Durant will once again putting his shooting skills to the test against the Atlanta Hawks.
The Thunder have won eight-straight games thanks to Durant who is averaging 31.1 points per game during the best streak of his career. The NBA's leading scorer is exceling in the absence of Russell Westbrook and is only getting better. He finished the game against Philadelphia with 32 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists, earning his fifth triple-double of the season.
Durant continues to lead the race for NBA MVP. The scoring streak is the longest in the NBA since Tracy McGrady had 14-straight games averaging that amount back in 2002-2003. So can Durant keep the numbers up? Facing the Hawks certainly works in his streak's favor. The All-Star has averaged 31.9 points in his last seven games against Atlanta. He put up 30 points and 10 rebounds against the Eastern Conference team back at the start of December.
Atlanta's defense has been dismal lately. They have given up an average of 112.6 points during a five-game losing stretch before finally getting a win against the Milwaukee Bucks. They shot 52.6 percent overall in the win and hope to ride that momentum into Oklahoma City. The Hawks are on a two-game road win streak which might help.
Watch Thunder vs. Hawks live stream, click here.
