It was billed as the KD vs. Russ show, but it’s always about the teams, not the individuals.  It was KD’s first trip back to OKC since his “defection” to Golden State.  And the fans, and the city of Oklahoma City was lathered up!  There were signs, chants and vitriol all directed at Kevin Durant for his decision to leave OKC and join Steph Curry and company in Oakland.

Leading up to this matchup the Warriors and Thunder had met in Oakland twice, with Golden State winning both matchups.  Durant had 2 of his highest scoring games of the season (42 and 39), and the Warriors won by 20+ on both occasions.  This time, with a change of scenery, it was thought that the Thunder would be able to make the game more competitive and possibly come away with a win.

But instead the city decided to engage in a bit of name calling that did nothing but fire up KD and his Warrior teammates.  After streaming out to an early lead in the first quarter, the Warriors went on a run that led to a 23 point half point lead.  Russ was having his usual good game, but the rest of the Thunder were not.

He was called #Cupcake, traitor, #soft, but in the end, he did what he had to do.  KD led the way for GSW with 34 points, while Russ chipped in 47 for OKC in a losing effort.  In short this was another dominant performance by GSW and another loss for OKC.

Many people thought this matchup would develop into a rivalry, but it’s only a rivalry when the other team offers resistance, and actually wins some games.  At present, OKC has lost 6 straight, including the last 3 games of the Western Conference Finals, and they have just not looked good with their 1 superstar, Russell Westbrook.

Last night’s game kinda leads us to understand why KD left OKC.  Russ is so ball dominant, that the offense becomes stagnant when he decides to go 1-on-1.  There were several moments in the 2nd half when KD was matched up 1-on-1 with Russ, and Russ could not resist the temptation to try and take it to his former teammate.  This is one of the things that KD complained about throughout his time with Russ in OKC.

Now he’s on a team that’s predicated on ball movement and team play, and is flourishing.  If KD’s goal was to become a part of a squad that was more conducive to his goals and natural skills, he’s found the right place.  Does it excuse the perception of his lack of desire to compete AGAINST  the best?  Not really.  He’ll probably never be able to live that down, but he has definitely aligned himself with a team/organization that is ready to win now and in the foreseeable future.