An inspired effort from Russell Westbrook did not only end the OKC Thunder’s two-game losing streak but it gave Westbrook the redemption that he so desperately needed against the Golden State Warriors.
The Oklahoma City Thunder faced the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night and won the game 108-91. The Thunder were on a two-game losing streak and were facing off against the defending NBA champions. They were able to come out on top thanks to a 34-point, 10-rebound and nine-assist game from Russell Westbrook. Carmelo Anthony had 22 and Paul George added 20.
This was the second win in 12 games against the Warriors for the Thunder, and their first win in seven games.
We all know what happened on the Fourth of July in 2016. Kevin Durant made a bad move in the eyes of many and went to the Golden State Warriors just a few months after after the Thunder blew a 3-1 lead against them in the Western Conference Finals.
The Warriors pummeled the Thunder all four games that they played against them last season. It looked like Durant got the last laugh. To make matters worse for OKC fans, Durant added a championship ring and an NBA Finals MVP to his list of accolades.
Westbrook was able to get an MVP trophy though, and it seemed like the Thunder fans would have something to smile about going into the next season.
We all circled it on our calendar. The day before Thanksgiving, the Thunder would be facing the Warriors. While it was not such a big deal as it was last year, it was still in the back of everyone’s minds. I mean, just look at how Westbrook and Durant greeted each other during the middle of the third quarter. You can tell they did not forget.
Oh, it’s ON pic.twitter.com/d8GQeHuN7K
— BBALLBREAKDOWN (@bballbreakdown) November 23, 2017
We all have rivals. It can be that older brother or that friend that always wants to one up you, but what keeps us going is the chance we have to get back at them. A rivalry is what makes anything great. Larry Bird–Magic Johnson, Tom Brady-Peyton Manning, Shaquille O’Neal–Kobe Bryant, in a highly competitive sport there will be some beef.
Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook spoke about the rivalry and shrugged off the confrontations.
Via NBA.com they said:
”I play the same way every night if it’s against Kevin or if it’s against Detroit,” Westbrook said. ”It don’t matter who it is. On the court I have no friends. The only friend I have is the basketball. That’s it. And obviously my teammates, but I go out to compete and to guard and play at a high level. I’ve been that way since day one and that’s what I do.”
”Man, it’s just ball,” Durant said. ”He’s competitive, I’m competitive. We like to go at it, both of us, and that’s just a part of the game.”
The Durant-Westbrook rivalry is not an exception to the law of highly competitive sports and life. There will be people that you just don’t like and it will seem like they are oppressive, but one thing that will always be true is you can always get them back.
Durant called Westbrook Brodie when they played together. Urban dictionary defines Brodie as a man that is a very caring and loyal friend and is down for everyone. If Durant knows Westbrook has this type of personality, then there will always be some level of competitive animosity between the two because a loyal friend that gets betrayed is a hurt friend.
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In the movie The Patriot, Mel Gibson decides to join the fight against the British in the Revolutionary War. In the final battle, the British expect a straight up fight against the Americans’ lack of man power.
The Americans suddenly decide to retreat and the British decide to go in and try and flatten them but it ends up being an ambush and the Americans have reinforcements waiting for them.
Likewise, Westbrook came back with help this time in the form of Carmelo and Paul George, and that was enough to take him over the top this time. Now we will all wait to see what Durant will be able to do next time these teams get a chance at each other again.
The Thunder were able to regroup from last year, build up their team to compete against the Warriors and this time they had the depth to attack them and take down the team that crushed them so easily last year.
Going into the stretch of the past three games I wrote that the Thunder would be tested against the three teams they recently faced in the San Antonio Spurs, New Orleans Pelicans and the Warriors. They ended up going 1-2.
Next: 2017-18 Week 6 NBA Power Rankings
This one game they won has to make the players, fans and organization happier about the team’s ability to contend going down the stretch.