Durant delivers punch

PHOENIX: It's not often that even champions come up with record feats in big matches, but Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant did just that by scoring 46 points to set a Rookie Challenge record to guide NBA's Sophomores to a popular 122-116 victory over the Rookies, on Friday.
Durant raised the benchmark so high, he eclipsed Phoenix's Amare Stoudemire's previous best of 36, that it needs a herculean effort from someone to wipe his name from the record books.Durant's contribution was so superlative that a three-pointer, a trademark dunk and two free throws during the final stages fashioned the dramatic victory. The next best for either team was 29 points from Miami's Michael Beasley for the Rookies. Jeff Green, Durant's Thunder teammate, added 13 points. Philadelphia's Thaddeus Young also scored 13 for the Sophomores.
Perhaps Rookies suffered due to the casualty they had to endure when Portland centre Greg Oden had to pull out with a sore left knee. Whether it made the difference or not, the Sophomores maintained the record by winning one of the showcase events of the All Star weekend for the seventh consecutive year.
However, it was not so easy for the winners as at one stage their lead was under threat when the Rookies closed the gap to three points (116-119) with just 11 seconds left. But Durant converted two free throws to eventually make the victory look easy.
Durant had things easier than expected as the challenge never seemed to exist. Yet, if the Rookies matched their rivals throughout the match the scores were 61-58 in favour of the winners at half-time it only proves that had the Rookies been a little tight on Durant the result would have been different.
In the Celebrity game later in the night, East prevailed over West narrowly at 60-57. Terrell Owens of Dallas Cowboys led East with 17 points.