Tensions rise in OKC between Kevin Durant & Russell Westbrook
Since Kevin Durant ditched Oklahoma City for greener pastures in Golden State, former teammate Russell Westbrook would have you believe their matchups are just another game to him. His words say one thing, but his actions on the court told a very different story Wednesday night.
With a lead that grew to be as large as 26 in the third quarter, it seemed like the game would end without the drama that most fans have come to expect from the pair of stars. However, after a seemingly harmless strip by Westbrook, the two began to chatter, and at one point in the confrontation, even literally butt heads.
The exchange was anything but short and sweet, but the reigning MVP had the last laugh as he scored a season-high 34 points. Adding 10 boards and nine assists, Westbrook came inches away from adding another triple-double to his growing collection.
His performance on this night was by fat his best of the season, and his efforts helped the Oklahoma City Thunder blow by the Warriors 108-91. The home win was the Thunder’s first victory over the Warriors since KD split town in the 2015 offseason.
Golden State won took all four rounds last season and outscored OKC by an average of nearly 20 points a game. The Thunder revamped their roster this offseason and it appears this could be a great Western Conference rivalry for years to come.
Oklahoma City’s newest All-Star duo, Carmelo Anthony and Paul George, have at times struggled to compliment Westbrook when sharing the floor with the ball dominant point guard, but added a combined 42 points on Wednesday night while managing to give him control of the tempo.
The Thunder’s season has been a roller coaster ride of ups and downs and tonight continued their odd trend. Each game they’ve won this season has come by nine or more points and each loss has come by nine of fewer.
Highs and lows are nothing new for rosters full of unfamiliar teammates, but this is perhaps the strangest example of that occurrence. If the OKC’s players can ever get on the same page, the NBA should be scared.
They lack the depth of past championship contenders, but it’s not unheard of to win with a handful of superstars. The Thunder have the talent, now all they need is a little hint of consistency.
