Durant's 20-point streak ends at 72 games

Kevin Durant's streak of consecutive 20-point games came to an end during Thursday's victory over the Denver Nuggets, as Durant finished with 18 points on 8-of-16 shooting.

Had the contest been more competitive, there's little doubt Durant would have reached the 20-point mark for a 73rd straight game, but Steve Kerr wisely pulled KD with the Golden State Warriors up 112-86 and only 5:50 remaining in the fourth quarter.

The 72-game streak, which Durant extended 24 hours earlier in a win over the Dallas Mavericks, tied Michael Jordan for the fourth-longest such streak in NBA history.

Only Wilt Chamberlain (twice) and Oscar Robertson have produced longer runs, with Chamberlain holding the record of 126 games from 1961-63.

Prior to Thursday, Durant's last game with less than 20 points came on Nov. 10, 2015, while he was still a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

That was the lone game out of the 72 Durant appeared in last season that failed to see him reach the 20-point plateau, though he was held below 20 a couple of times during the 2016 postseason.