Kevin Durant vs. Kobe Bryant Scoring Race Comes Down to Final Game

One of the closest scoring races in NBA history will come down to the last day of the season, as Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant jostle for top scoring honors. The Oklahoman breaks the race down: “After 65 games, the race for the 2011-12 scoring title is all up to one final contest each for Thunder forward Kevin Durant and Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant. ‘Hopefully it’s a fun one,’ Durant said of the final showdown. ‘That’s what the fans want to see.’ After scoring a game-high 32 points in Tuesday’s 118-110 victory over Sacramento, Durant increased his narrow lead over Bryant to .11 points. The actual averages are 27.97 points for Durant to Bryant’s 27.86 points. Bryant has the advantage of taking the floor last in a Thursday finale at Sacramento, while Durant and the Thunder close the season at home against Denver on Wednesday. But if Durant scores less than 30, Bryant will have to top Durant’s output by at least seven points. If Durant posts more than 30, Bryant must outscore Durant by at least six. The necessary differential would narrow more the more each player scores. The discrepancy is caused by Bryant playing seven fewer games. The scoring title is determined by scoring average. ‘Kobe’s an unbelievable scorer, man, and he’s having a great season as well,’ Durant said. ‘If it happens, then it’s cool. If not, then I’m not worried about it. I’m just going to go out there and play my game. I’m not going to force anything just so I can score more points than Kobe.'”