Durant continues to light up NYC hoops

NBA owners may have locked out the players, but New York City has opened its doors for Kevin Durant.

With no end in sight for the lockout as the league files lawsuits and players consider international alternatives, Durant's New York barnstorming tour continued Tuesday.

One night after adding to Harlem lore by scoring 66 points in the Entertainers Basketball Classic at the famed Rucker Park, the Oklahoma City star and two-time NBA scoring champion made his encore in downtown Manhattan. Before a packed house in the bowels of Baruch College, Durant competed in the Nike Pro City summer league in what is likely the closest thing to NBA basketball that fans will see for the time being.

Durant's performance wasn't quite Rucker-esque, but he did score 41 points, including a three to tie the score with 5.7 seconds left, and led The Franchise to a 146-143 overtime win over Big Apple Basketball.

Durant, who played all 51 minutes, shot just 9-for-29 from the field, primarily settling for outside and midrange jumpers late in the game. After making 9 of 11 three-point attempts on Monday at Rucker -- a performance trending on Twitter 36 hours after the fact -- Durant went just 2-for-12 from downtown on Tuesday. His game-tying three, however, avenged his missed free throw that would have evened the score with 15.6 seconds left.

Durant was in attack mode in the first quarter, knifing through the lane and aggressively driving to the rim. He brought the New York crowd to its feet late in the quarter when he followed a breakaway dunk on one possession with a one-handed alley-oop on the next.

Durant may have been the draw, but Bulls guard John Lucas III stole the show. The 5-11 guard scored 60 points, shooting 22-for-41 from the field, and nearly led his team to a come-from-behind upset of the more star-studded opposition, adding to what league director Ray Diaz called a memorable night.

"This goes down with all the great games in New York City streetball and summer ball," Diaz said.

The Pro City league consists of eight teams, which are comprised of NBA, collegiate and international talent. Joining Durant on The Franchise on Tuesday was Pacers center Roy Hibbert (13 points, 15 rebounds), St. John's Justin Burrell, who had 27 points, 10 rebounds and numerous crowd-pleasing dunks, Archbishop Molloy product Sundiata Gaines and former Seton Hall standout Andre Barrett.

While the league affords players live game action, Diaz believes that Durant's presence wasn't the function of the lockout but rather the reputation of the league.

"This is our 18th season and Pro City is well known," Diaz said. "A lot of NBA guys come through during the course of the summer."

Either way, his presence is good for business, even in a league where admission is free. During warm-ups, Durant casually took the court -- headphones on, trademark backpack in place, yellow New York Pro City jersey draped around his neck -- to a polite applause. After the game he was whisked off the court, engulfed by appreciative fans.

Last week, Durant said he was "about 50-50" on playing overseas in the event the lockout is unresolved. For now, he's merely an attraction on the streetball circuit.

"When you have the second best player in the NBA playing in a summer league tournament," Diaz said, "it will make any league that much better."