Kevin Durant was calmly smiling in the postgame news conference upon the bringing up of his blocked shot courtesy of Russell Westbrook.
In the dying moments of the first period of the Brooklyn Nets’ Sunday show against the Los Angeles Lakers, Westbrook braved through the one-possession assignment of guarding Durant.
Durant went on to use his height advantage and pulled up for a fadeaway jumper, but he didn’t notice that Westbrook was tactically reading his shooting mechanics, thus rejecting him firmly.
This defensive stop brought up a clear notion that both star players have been really familiar with each other’s game, especially from the fact that they grew up closely together as the former core foundations of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
“He’s just going to hack me the whole time,” Durant said about Westbrook, per ESPN’s Nick Friedell. “We’ve been doing that s— since we was 18, 19.”
And the fact that Durant has acknowledged that Westbrook had another solid performance in his supporting role off the bench, there’s truly no love lost.
“But more than anything, to see the role Russ is playing right now, he’s just affecting the game in so many different ways. Twelve assists tonight, four turnovers, 14 points, he came in and put his imprint on the game so it’s always fun playing against him, regardless of what setting it is. It’s always been like that between us.”
Westbrook powered L.A.’s second unit with another all-around show of 14 points, 12 assists, and six boards in 28 minutes to help the Lakers slash their five-game losing slump, 116-103. Durant for his part, had a losing effort of 31 points in 50 percent shooting to go with nine boards and seven assists.
Amid their heartbreaking split in 2016, it is still evident that both Durant and Westbrook enjoy their encounter, even though they are now facing in a different direction following the conclusion of a bittersweet run as the one-two superstar punch of OKC.
