OKLAHOMA CITY - After the chatter and the sideshows and the circus that was New Year's Eve in Oklahoma City on Wednesday night, there was Kevin Durant.
There was also overtime, two fistfuls of technical fouls, an ejection of Russell Westbrook, a bleeding Serge Ibaka, little-to-no defense and a double helping of Thunder reserve point guard Ish Smith.
But mostly there was Kevin Durant.
Durant didn't win the game for the Thunder, you could credit Anthony Morrow for that as his four-point play ultimately decided the game, but Durant was the calm in a storm of chippy play, questionable shooting and the second-half absence of Westbrook.
In his first game back for the second time this season, Durant scored a season-high 44 points, including the game-tying 3-pointer with 1:24 to go in the fourth quarter. The result was a 137-134 overtime victory over Phoenix.
He also provided something the Thunder haven't had a lot of lately, or really this season - consistency and reliability.
How reliable and consistent? Well, check out what coach Scott Brooks said.
"I didn't realize he had 44 points," Brooks said. "He kept everyone in the right place mentally and on the court. That's what leaders do. The basket was big for him tonight."
The win was even bigger. In a season where the Thunder started off hobbled by injuries, they are doing their part to get back into the playoff race and after missing the past two weeks with an ankle injury, Durant seemed to be his old self.
Despite the fact he's played just 10 games this season, missing the better part of the season with a foot injury and then an ankle injury, Durant was 13-of-23 with 10 rebounds and seven assists.
"He's back," Reggie Jackson said. "He's special. "He's carried us in a lot of situations. Makes everyone's job easier."
Westbrook has played MVP-like basketball for most of this season, but his decision making has been undesirable at best, losing his way against Portland and then against Dallas on Sunday. Against the Suns Wednesday, Westbrook, who already picked up a previous technical foul for tussling with Alex Len, couldn't mind his manners and was tossed out after getting another technical foul for barking at the Phoenix bench.
That meant the second half and the game would ultimately be on Durant.
"We all have to do a better job of controlling our emotions," Brooks said. "We need everyone on the court. It was a heated game. Started off chippy. I thought Kevin's leadership throughout the game was good.
Hard to be calm when there are seven technicals and an ejection, never mind the 13 3-pointers the Suns made.
Hard not to get too emotional when Smith, seldom used and generally forgotten, gets called for goaltending and also has a dunk.
But there was Kevin Durant
"He's been in a lot of big moments," Brooks said. "He's led us to a lot of great places. He controls the game with his playmaking. He's not just a scorer. He's really developed leadership skills. That's what the special ones do."
Westbrook's only answer to a number of questions Wednesday was: "It was a good win." Westbrook wasn't interested in talking about his ejection, his emotions or much of anything. "It was a good win," he said.
It was because of Kevin Durant.
Follow Andrew Gilman on Twitter: @andrewgilmanOK
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