Image courtesy of Keith Allison/Flickr.
Kevin Durant is earning his keep with the Golden State Warriors. He seemed to be everywhere at all times in Thursday’s game whereupon Durant’s Warriors defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder, KD’s old team. You couldn’t have had a more exciting match up to rile up NBA betting enthusiasts.
Reigning NBA MVP Stephen Curry was encouraged by the performance of his team and suggested that their victory came about because they really had one another’s back. And the fact that Durant was playing with them made all the difference. Knowing his history with the Thunder, it made sense for Curry and the team to get on that court and win for his sake, allowing Durant to enjoy his first match against his former teammates.
Some people suggested that maybe Durant wasn’t too happy with the way the game had been analyzed and dissected, especially taking into account the way Westbrook’s wardrobe was scrutinized. Everyone seemed sure Durant’s first game against the Thunder would be extremely muddy, however, that worry was mostly unfounded. The Warriors were supercharged on the Thursday night as they stepped onto the court.
This will be just the first of many clashes against the Thunder; either way, Durant can hold his head up high having played a great game against his former team. Durant needed to get through that first game in order to enjoy the rest of his life with the Warriors, and his teammates helped him get exactly what he wanted. The Kevin Durant-Russell Westbrook showdown was supposed to be a grudge match, but the actual contention was a little more playful than some people would have expected. Durant needs to work hard to fit in the Warriors, a team with three other NBA All-Stars in Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green.
On the other hand, Westbrook might struggle to carry the Thunder all on his own; though, he is quite talented and, the way he has been playing, leading the Thunder to certain victory in future games isn’t impossible.
Some people wondered at the sorts of emotions that would be percolating around the game. Westbrook definitely created confusion when he arrived wearing an orange photographer’s bib. People thought he was throwing a jab at Durant (who loves photography), but Westbrook denied those charges. There was some trash talking on the part of Durant during a stop in play, but the atmosphere was still quite playful.
The Warriors drove the game because of how energetic they were. The transition to a new lineup was a little choppy. Durant took over the most, registering 39 points and seven rebounds in a little over half an hour of play. In the interview after the game, Durant assured everyone that he had moved on from the Thunder and was now firmly with the Warriors. However, he admitted to being assaulted by a few unexpected emotions during the game, memories of his time with the Thunder, though he extinguished them and focused on the game.
Durant’s teammates were quick to dispel rumors suggesting that Durant had said a lot of terrible things about the Thunder after leaving. Instead, they encouraged everyone to enjoy the story that Durant had told in leaving his former team and rising up to the challenge to play against them and defeat them fairly on the court.
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