In Game 6, Kevin Durant started out hot from the field, hitting a three-pointer and an and-one before picking up his second personal foul four minutes into the game.
At that point, he was 2-2 on field goals, and the Memphis Grizzles looked like they could be in trouble. Durant, however, finished the game 3-14 for 11 points.
As the two-time leading scorer of the NBA, he needs to have more than fourteen shot attempts per game. Granted, Durant's shot was not falling. And granted, he was being defended very well by Shane Battier down the stretch.
Regardless, the Oklahoma City Thunder need Durant to be their closer. He can hit any shot from anywhere and is also a threat to get to the line. Take a look at Game 5 of the Nuggets series: the Thunder trailed by nine points with four minutes to go before Durant took over and brought them back. A combination of three-pointers, aggressive drives to the basket and assists to open teammates sealed the Nuggets' end as the Thunder rallied to take a 100-97 series-clinching victory.
Now take a look at the Grizzles in Game 6: they fed the ball to their best player, Zach Randolph, several times down the stretch, and it paid off in the form of 12-point win.
Durant? He didn't even touch the ball on several late-game possessions and had only two shots. He needs to demand the ball from Westbrook and work hard to get the ball in good spots (aka not outside the three-point line every time) late in the game. It worked against Denver, and it gives the Thunder the best chance of beating the Grizzles in Game 7.
If Durant fails to do so, he runs the risk of having to watch Z-Bo and Dirk battle it out in the Western Conference Finals from his couch.