Durant moves on with a vengeance
Dismantling of Thunder underlines drive to separate ‘emotions’ from ‘job’
A towel over his head in the waning moments and Kevin Durant’s spectacular, statement-making night in the books at last, he could finally breathe and briefly forget the constant chatter about his departure from Oklahoma City.
It came from everywhere. It came for months. A matchup — and rematch — circled from the moment he joined the Golden State Warriors in July. KD’s big decision that left a fan base and a franchise feeling scorned.
Durant got the last word in the first reunion with Russell Westbrook and his old Thunder teammates, going off for 39 points and matching his career high with seven three-pointers in Golden State’s 122-96 dismantling of previously unbeaten Oklahoma City on Thursday in a rematch of last season’s Western Conference final.
“I don’t want to say any part was strange. I’ve moved on,” Durant said. “I’m part of the Golden State Warriors. I’m excited to be part of this team. What I did those last eight years was special and something I’m never going to forget, but I’m trying to look forward. I just try to separate those emotions and feelings and also try to do my job.”
That meant no greetings at tipoff or pre-game pleasantries between KD and old pal Russ.
Nah. There’s no love lost between these superstars who went their separate ways after their summer ended empty-handed — having squandered a 3-1 lead in the Western final to Durant’s new team.
“When I go on the court, I don’t talk to anybody but my teammates,” Westbrook said afterward. He had reason to be a little grumpy: His rough 20-point outing on 4-for-15 shooting dropped him from the NBA’s leading scorer, with a 38.7 points per game average coming into the night, to second at 34.2.
Westbrook showed up at Oracle Arena donning a bright orange “Official Photographer” vest and left wearing it, too. It was quickly pointed out that photography is one of Durant’s off-the-court passions.
“There’s no particular reason, there’s no story behind it, it’s just because I wanted to wear it,” Westbrook said.
“I don’t wear anything for nobody. I wear what I want to wear, when I want to wear it.”
That vest came all the way from Madrid.
With the hype surrounding a testy reunion, this rivalry might be here for the long haul.
“Subplots like this don’t just go away,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. How could it? Durant left OKC for the Bay Area and a chance to play alongside two-time reigning MVP Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, while Westbrook stayed put with the Thunder.
It didn’t take Durant long to get going Thursday and when he did he was unstoppable. He finished 15-for-24 from the field.
“He came out confident, so that first shot went in and it was off to the races from there,” Curry said. “It was definitely fun.
“We knew how much it meant for him to just get out there and play with all the noise around the game.”