INSIDE
Former Thunder teammates Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant were in sync for the Western Conference during Sunday night’s NBA All-Star Game.
NEW ORLEANS — As Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant came to the sideline smiling, the Western Conference bench was in hysterics.
The former Oklahoma City Thunder teammates stood a few feet apart after teaming up for a give-and-go that finished with a Westbrook dunk. It took the breath out of the Smoothie King Center and all the tension out of the 66th NBA All-Star Game.
Water flew out of a Gatorade cup and splashed between them. Teammates jumped up and down, fists pumping in the air, hands clapping in celebration. It was the beautiful basketball Durant mentioned last season when he and Westbrook were the NBA’s most lethal duo. For a moment, basketball beat beef.
“It was a nice giveand-go,” Westbrook told TNT’s David Aldridge on the sideline. “(He) made a good pass. I barely got over the rim, but it was a nice give-and-go.”
“He’s a great basketball player,” a smiling Durant told TNT at halftime. “He was open so I threw him the lob. He can jump really high, so yeah, great play.
“Those guys are funny, but it’s nothing more. Great pass, great finish.”
A weekend of anticipation built up to the moment the two were on the court together. What would happen? They dodged questions about each other at Friday’s media session. They didn’t interact at Saturday’s practice. They didn’t disappoint Sunday. Westbrook saw his first action with 6:08 left in the first quarter. He checked in for Stephen Curry. Durant stayed in. A minute later, Westbrook brought the ball up as Durant cut across the lane. Westbrook passed and cut. Durant pivoted and lofted the ball in front of the rim for Westbrook to flush, chemistry straight out an eight-year partnership.
Westbrook pointed in Durant’s direction while going down the court.
“It was cool,” Warriors forward Draymond Green said of the alley-oop dunk by Westbrook via a Durant assist. Then, Green playfully tossed some shade in Westbrook’s direction. “It was cute.” Westbrook had 19 points, four rebounds and five assists in the first half in pursuit of his third consecutive All-Star MVP award. His points tally could have been even more. Westbrook tried to toss an alley-oop off the backboard to himself and clanged the dunk attempt off the back of the rim. On the next possession, he clanged another. Then another as the ball caromed out into the first sideline row.
Westbrook smiled and tossed his hands up. On the bench, Durant smiled, too.
“We missed like four dunks, but it’s been a fun game,” Durant said at halftime.
Westbrook takes on Thomas
Westbrook pulled down a rebound with ease. Boston’s
Isaiah Thomas tried to jump with him, but at 5-foot-9 had no shot. Westbrook shot him a confused look, the crowd let out a collective laugh, and the mini-war between the two leading scorers in the NBA was on.
Westbrook and Thomas went at each other for four straight possessions. Westbrook won the first, corralling his rebound then nailing a stepback 3 over the diminutive guard. Rather than do his customary “too small” hand gesture, Westbrook immediately tracked back on defense, crouching low and beckoning with two hands for Thomas to come at him.
Thomas pulled up and swished a jumper. The two trades misses going one-on-one the next two possessions.
Locker room setup
Media wasn’t allowed anywhere near the All-Star locker rooms in pregame, but The Oklahoman was told that the U-shaped locker room format had Westbrook and Kevin Durant set up away from each other. Westbrook’s locker was next to Marc
Gasol and DeMarcus Cousins. Durant’s locker was set up next to Draymond Green’s.
In the crowd
Musicians/couple Jay Z and Beyonce … rapper Fat Joe … chef/TV personality Guy Fieri … comedians Dave Chappelle, Chris Tucker and Anthony Anderson … country musician Zac Brown … Brazilian
soccer star Ronaldinho … actor Michael B. Jordan.