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Durant reflects on ‘weird’ celebration after reaching 20,000-point milestone

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OAKLAND–The game didn’t stop and the action didn’t pause, but for a brief moment, time stood still.

When Kevin Durant pulled up from 22 feet late in the second quarter, the crowd inside Oracle Arena could feel the energy. Everyone at Wednesday evening’s contest between the Warriors and Clippers knew Durant needed just 25 points to hit the 20,000 career-point threshold, but no one expected the Golden State forward to hit the mark with such ease.

On a night when Steph Curry (ankle) and Klay Thompson (rest) were sidelined, Durant shouldered the Warriors’ offensive load and drilled a three-pointer on just his 10th shot attempt of the night to become the second-youngest player in NBA history to reach 20,000 points.

Durant’s three-pointer pushed Golden State ahead 62-55, and on the next possession, Clippers guard Tyrone Wallace hit a 10-foot jumper to cut his team’s deficit to five points. Eventually, a Shaun Livingston foul sent Los Angeles center DeAndre Jordan to the line, allowing for a stop in the action and a proper reception for Durant and his milestone.

As Warriors’ fans rose to their feet, Durant thought less about the 20,000-point mark and more about the final shot that helped him become the 44th player in NBA history to enter an elite club.

“I was excited about the move I made and my follow-through,” Durant said. “I was disciplined on my follow-through and I was proud of myself with that. But for the fans to recognize me for going out and scoring that many points, it was cool. It was weird. Everybody is just standing up and clapping for me. It’s a team game and there’s so many players on the court and that was weird, but for the most part, it’s been fun getting to this point in my career and I look forward to keep pushing and thanks for all the love and support.”

As Jordan stepped back from the free throw line to allow the ovation at Oracle Arena to continue, Durant tapped his chest and motioned for the officials to speed up the game. Durant chose not to bask in the glory of another accomplishment, but after the game, he had a message for the fans who cheered him on.

“Just thank you, I appreciate it,” Durant said. “You work so hard to be able to play well and people that come and watch you play and recognize that, it means the world to me and I’m very humbled by that response. I just want to keep going.”