OKLAHOMA CITY -- Not many know much about the guy who dominated Game 1 of the NBA Finals other than hes pretty good. Aldrick Robinson Redskins Jersey . Kevin Durant is a mystery even to some of the players trying to beat him. "Its one of those things where I respect his game, but I dont know him, either. I know probably just as much as you guys know," Miamis Dwyane Wade said Wednesday. Thats just the way Durant likes it. He doesnt seek the spotlight and it seldom comes to Oklahoma looking for him. He rarely makes much news and wouldnt read it anyway, preferring the quiet life LeBron James gave up any hope of when he went to Miami and promised all those championships at that big welcoming party two summers ago. Durant instead committed to remaining in Oklahoma City that same month, bypassing a big announcement by revealing on Twitter he had agreed to a contract extension. He may not be able to hide much longer. A few more performances like he had in the opener -- when he scored 17 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter of the Thunders 105-94 victory -- and Durant could take his place as the leagues biggest star. Yet he pays no more attention to praise than he does criticism -- unless it comes from within his organization. "I have faith in all those things that I do day in and day out: Coming in, working hard, believing in myself and my teammates, and believing in the system. Whatever happens after that, it happens, as long as I know that I come in and give it my all every single day," Durant said. "I cant worry about what other people say or expectations they put on me. Its just all about how I view myself and how my teammates view me, and well go from there." Game 2 is Thursday night, another chance for Durant to build on whats already one of the leagues strongest resumes in recent years: Three-time scoring champion. MVP of the All-Star game. MVP of the world basketball championship. On the floor, his name belongs with James, Wade, Kobe Bryant, or any of the NBAs brightest stars. Away from the court, Durant doesnt seem interested in anything that would force his name into the discussion, with Wade comparing him to San Antonios Tim Duncan. "And sometimes its where youre at. If he was in Los Angeles, Chicago, somewhere, it would be a little different," Wade said. "Being in Oklahoma kind of dims his light a little bit. Not him on the basketball court, but him off the court. Theres not a lot of exciting things going on out here." Well, except for Durants performances. His scoring average and shooting percentage have gone up every round, and he matched his high scoring game of this post-season on Tuesday. He did hear some criticism for being too passive and taking only four shots over the middle two quarters, but he brushes that off as easily as he does defenders. "I dont want to sound like a jerk or anything, but I really dont care what people say outside the locker room, outside of this organization, what I need to do or what I didnt do. I really dont care," Durant said. "You know, Im a guy that lets the game come to me but is also aggressive at the same time. I know when to take shots, when to make the right play. "People can say this and that. I learn to just tune it out and just play my game." James and Wade are as much celebrities as athletes, answering questions about fashion Wednesday while every inquiry to Durant was about basketball. And with more attention on the Miami duo, so is the "noise" that coach Erik Spoelstra says the team is always trying to ignore. Last year it was focused on James after his repeated fourth-quarter failures in the Heats loss to Dallas. He was outplayed in the final period by Durant on Wednesday but otherwise had a strong game, his 30 points his most ever in the finals. Now the blame seems to be shifted toward Wade, who hasnt been consistent this post-season while perhaps still dealing with knee pain. He shot just 7 for 19 in Game 1, with Spoelstra denying there was anything physically wrong. James may remind Wade he needs more from his partner Thursday. "A lot of times I try to let him figure it out on his own, but sometimes I go to him and tell him I need one of those games from him, I need one of those performances from him, because he still has it," James said. "He knows he still has it, too, but every player needs a little kick every now and then, no matter how time tested they are." Wade was briefly THE guy in the NBA six years ago, leading the Heat to an NBA title at 24 and looking as if he could have plenty of years on top. Things are set up for Durant, just 23, to inherit that role now. He can put himself on a list along with Michael Jordan, Bryant and Willis Reed, who were MVPs of the All-Star game and finals in the same year, then will chase Olympic gold with the U.S. team this summer. Game 1 had barely ended when already Durant was talking about what he could do better in Game 2, and thats as far as hell look for now. "Im just taking it a day at a time," he said. "Its just a blessing to be here, not just in the finals but being in the NBA, having this opportunity to do something I love to do, and just take it slow, take it a day at a time, keep working every single day, and at the end well see where Im at. But I cant think too far down the line. Just got to be ready for the next day and prepare myself right for whatever happens." Charley Taylor Redskins Jersey . -- Dwyane Wade was a late scratch from the Miami Heats starting lineup against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night because of nerve irritation in his left foot, leaving his status for the All-Star game in doubt. Joe Theismann Jersey . Later, his catcher delivered the deciding stroke. Price struck out 10 in his Detroit debut and was long gone when Alex Avila homered in the 12th inning to lift the Tigers over the New York Yankees 4-3 Tuesday night.KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- At any age, Jeff Gordon sure knows how to win. Nearly two decades after he burst onto the scene with his first victory, Gordon keeps taking checkered flags, storming to the lead in the final laps at Kansas Speedway on Saturday night for his first victory of the season and 89th overall in NASCARs top series. The 42-year-old Gordon held off a hard-charging Kevin Harvick on the final lap to move into the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship field. Gordon won for the first time since October at Martinsville and became the ninth driver to win in the first 11 races this season. He entered the race with the points lead, but exclaimed a weight was lifted off his shoulders as he crossed the finish line for his third Kansas victory. "Im just so proud of (the 24 team). They have been giving me the best race cars all year long," Gordon said. "I have been having so much fun. Im going to be 43 this year and I feel like Im 25 again. That is the way they make me feel." Kasey Kahne was third, followed by Joey Logano and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Danica Patrick was seventh for her best career Cup finish. Gordon built his points lead on the strength of four top-fives and seven top-10s in the first 10 races -- including second-place finishes at Texas and Richmond -- but he knew how much one win would ease pressure on his Hendrick Motorsports team. He got it under the lights at Kansas. "This is so sweet," he said. "What a huge weight lifted off this teams shoulders. We needed to get to Victory Lane." Gordon is celebrating the 20th anniversary of his first career Cup victory at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the prestigious Coca-Cola 600. He will go for his fourth Coca-Cola 600 victory May 25. At Daytona this year, Gordon insisted he was serious about considering retirement with a fifth championship. He looks every bit a title contender -- but said he feels like he could race until 50 if his cars are this stout. "The whole retirement thing I think is thrown out too much," he said. "I know Im somewhat to blame for that." After the start of the race was delayed 35 minutes by rain, the first Sprint Cup night race at Kansas soon left drivers in the dark after the lights went out on the backstretch. NASCAR polled drivers if they wanted to continue and they were good to go, with Kurt Busch and Carl Edwards among the many who said thhe track was bright enough to race. DeSean Jackson Redskins Jersey. Harvick led the final 36 laps in his October win and led the first 41 on Saturday before briefly falling into the middle of the pack. Harvick worked his way to the front in the No. 4 Chevrolet and opened a commanding lead over Gordon and Logano. He led a race-high 119 laps in the 400-mile race -- small consolation once Gordon grabbed the lead with eight to go. With two wins already, Harvick has been a force in his first season at Stewart-Haas Racing, but his dominant Chevrolet ran out of gas on his last pit stop and lost time that he couldnt recover. "I should have been paying attention to my pit road lights and should have got off pit road better," he said. "I made a mistake at the end and it cost us a chance to stay out in front of the 24." Patrick had her best run of the season, spending most of the race nestled inside the top 10, and brought a needed jolt of electricity when she passed teammate Tony Stewart and Earnhardt to move into third with 95 laps left. Patrick hadnt finished better this season than 14th at Fontana and her lone top-10 in the Cup series was an eighth-place finish in the 2013 Daytona 500. She was shuffled back on a restart, costing her a top five. Patrick beamed in the garage after the kind of finish shed been striving for since her dazzling performance at Daytona more than a year ago. Crew chief Tony Gibson told her, "Chicks rule, huh?" "I know that we havent had the best of times, but we work hard for it," Patrick said. "This is the kind of stuff that materializes in wins. Weve just got to keep hanging around and doing what were doing. Im just proud of everyone for working really hard and believing in me." Sara Christians fifth-place finish in a 1949 race remains the best for a female driver in NASCARs top series. Jamie McMurray and David Gilliland both had their cars erupt in flames in separate accidents. Gilliland was slow to exit his No. 38 Ford and gingerly walked away from the smouldering wreckage. He was checked out and released from the infield care centre. "It was the hardest hit Ive had in a long time," he said. McMurray had a solid run derailed when he smacked the wall and the back of his No. 1 Chevrolet caught fire. "I heard a small pop, and then just lost all the steering and got into the fence," he said. ' ' '
