The race for the 2012-13 NBA scoring title is over.
Kevin Durant to sit out regular season finale, meaning Carmelo Anthony will win scoring title
After a three-year reign, Kevin Durant will hand the NBA scoring title to Knicks star Carmelo Anthony rather than give it one last shot Wednesday.
Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant posted a message on his Instagram stating he will sit out the team's regular season finale Wednesday night against the Milwaukee Bucks, officially ending his three-year reign as the top per-game scorer in the league.
The news means New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony will win his first career scoring title with a seasonal average of 28.7 points per game. Anthony is also sitting out his team's season finale to prepare for the beginning of the postseason this weekend.
Durant, who seemed destined to be the league’s premier scorer indefinitely, finishes the season with a seasonal average of 28.1 points per game. It’s the first scoring title he’s failed to win since the 2008-09 season, his second in the NBA.
In order to actually win the title Wednesday, Durant would have needed an absolutely superhuman performance with Anthony also sitting out. He would have needed something close to 70 points against Milwaukee to pass Anthony’s exact 28.65 figure.
With 2,280 total points this season, Durant will still be the NBA’s top overall scorer in terms of sheer volume. Factor in his impeccable shooting percentages, and Anthony’s crowning as the league’s top scorer this year is really only reflected by one stat.
More from SB Nation:
See More:
