Thunder at Warriors
Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook square off as adversaries for the first time in their NBA careers when Durant’s new team, the Golden State Warriors, host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday. Durant departed the Thunder as a free agent in the offseason and tension is high as he faces his former teammates for the first time.
Golden State rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the Western Conference finals to defeat Oklahoma City and then Durant opted to join the Warriors on July 4. Durant once again denied earlier this week that he is at odds with Westbrook but has confessed the strong relationship they had when they became teammates in 2008 had changed over the years. “You don’t hang out with your 19-year-old buddies no more every day, if you’re growing up and doing your own thing,” Durant told reporters. “Our personalities, my interests, went another way, and his went another way, and I respected that.” Westbrook has led Oklahoma City to a 4-0 start to begin the post-Durant era and he hit the winning jumper in Wednesday’s 85-83 road victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT
ABOUT THE THUNDER (4-0): Westbrook signed a three-year, $85 million extension after Durant’s departure and he has embraced the opportunity to finally be viewed as the face of a franchise. He had 35 points in the victory over the Clippers and is averaging 37.8 points, 10.5 rebounds and 10 assists but refused to answer any questions about Durant in the postgame session with reporters. But he did have this to say shortly after Durant left: “We’ve been together eight years. You don’t throw that away. Obviously, he’s now with a new team. But we definitely will talk. Eventually.”
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (3-1): Durant is averaging 28.5 points and shooting 57.4 percent from the floor through four games with his new team. Coach Steve Kerr said Durant has seamlessly meshed with his new teammates — “he’s perfect for what we already do,” Kerr said — and the coach understands that the meeting with the Thunder is important to Durant. “Every player is excited when he plays against his former team,” Kerr told reporters. “It’s a little different for Kevin, because he’s a superstar and the spotlight is on him. Everybody’s going to be asking him questions and the TV cameras will be on him and Russ.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Warriors won all three regular-season meetings last season.
2. Oklahoma City SG Victor Oladipo was 3-of-11 shooting against the Clippers and is shooting just 32.8 percent from the field.
3. Golden State PG Stephen Curry has 28 points in Tuesday’s 127-104 trouncing of Portland and is averaging 26.3 points.