Oklahoma City Thunder Rookie Joins NBA Greats Kobe Bryant and LeBron James in Playoff History Books

After a battle that lasted seven games, the brilliant postseason run of the Oklahoma City Thunder has come to an end. Keeping them in the hunt to the last buzzer was 21-year-old Luguentz Dort. The youngster struggled all series, but in the biggest game of his life, he stepped up, and how!

He ended the game with 30 points, going 10/21 from the field and also 6/12 from the three-point line. This valiant effort by Dort has gone into the history books. The young player now joins Kobe Bryant and LeBron James in being the only players 21 or younger to score over 25 points in Game 7of a playoff series. Bryant scored 25 against the Blazers in 2000, while James had 27 against the Pistons back in 2006.

Oklahoma City Thunder: Promising future ahead

During this performance, he also became the youngest player in NBA history to score 30 points in a Game 7. The previous youngest was Kevin Durant, who scored 39 against the Grizzlies. Moreover, this is also the third-highest points by a rookie in a Game 7.

Not only was he excelling on offense, but his defense also helped his team stay alive. He was instrumental in stopping James Harden, restricting the former MVP to just 4/15 from the field. He did everything right except for the final play when his potential game-winner got blocked and he gave up possession.

In the previous games, he had been one of their worst players on offense, but tonight he stepped up. Despite the loss, the Thunder fans will be proud of him. It will be a tough game to swallow for the hard-working rookie, but he has a bright future ahead of him.

The Thunder were given a 0.2 chance to make the playoffs. But they defied all expectations, and they ended up falling short by just two points to advance to the Conference Semifinals. With the talent they have on their hands, they will return even more dangerous next season.