Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook have never shied away from one another since Durant left Oklahoma City six years ago. The duo has faced off 11 times since the split. The latest came Sunday night with the Los Angeles Lakers claiming a 116-103 wire-to-wire win over the Brooklyn Nets.
Durant and Westbrook spent eight seasons together with the Thunder, making four Western Conference Finals appearances and one trip to the finals. Westbrook guarded Durant on switches sparingly Sunday, but his knowledge of his former teammate was on full display with a come-from-behind block on a Durant post-up in the first quarter.
Russell Westbrook SWATS KD 👀
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) November 14, 2022
Durant was asked about going up against his former teammate postgame.
“He's just going to hack me the whole time,” Kevin Durant said. “We've been doing that s**t since we was 18, 19. 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 has been a difference-maker for the Lakers since a move to the bench. The former MVP is averaging 18.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 8.9 assists on 42.4 percent shooting from three in November. Westbrook's block resulted in plenty of buzz on Twitter, but Durant would get him back in the third quarter, overwhelming the Lakers guard in isolation before swatting his shot and converting a four-point play on the other end.
This was quite the two-way sequence from Kevin Durant last night. And a great response to Westbrook's block earlier in the game.
Those two have never shied away from each other since KD left OKC. pic.twitter.com/MmakMX8dQZ
— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) November 14, 2022
Durant would finish the game with 31 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists on 8 of 16 shooting. The 12-time All-Star's streak of 13 straight games scoring 25-plus to open the season marks the longest since Michael Jordan in 1988-89 (16).
The Lakers win was the first time Kevin Durant and Westbrook took the floor against each other since January 2021. That game, a 149-146 Wizards win, saw the duo go shot for shot with Westbrook exploding for 41 points and Durant on his heels with 37.
The latest battle between the two offered a few fun sequences and acknowledgment of respect for each other's games. Durant and Westbrook will meet again when the Lakers travel to Brooklyn on Jan. 30.
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