In spite of the Thunder, I made sure and enjoyed every minute of this game. I took the time to follow both Steph and Klay all night long following their movements on the floor with and without the ball. And even though the Thunder were blown out early in this game it’s very clear the Splash Brothers are historically good and simply a marvel to watch.
The Splash Brothers are art..pure and simple. I would guess before it’s all over they’ll be recognized as the best backcourt in NBA history–if not already.
If you take Steph and Klay, add the very talented Demarcus Cousins and throw in Draymond Green and Iguodala…and throw in Livingston and the young players off the bench you have a championship team without Kevin Durant is what I took away from this game.
Ironically, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook had something oddly in common this game–as in neither played. Durant was a DNP due to a sore ankle and Russell Westbrook played one of the worst games in his career. To simply write Westbrook was horrific isn’t enough. It was a combination of horrific ladled with pathetic which made you want to grab him through your flat screen and put him on the end of Billy Donovan’s bench.
One good thing does come of this game though for Thunder fans. This should put an end to all this Durant-Westbrook angst which still lingers among Thunder fans. That should be over because after Durant leaves the Warriors after this season…Durant and Westbrook will have something else in common…that being neither will be relevant in the championship conversation as long as the Warriors keep Steph, Klay, and either DeMarcus or Draymond. Just one of those two would be enough with the Splash Brothers.
I think even the most hardened Durant hater in OKC would now have to admit even if Durant had come back in 2017 that the Thunder would not have come back and beaten the Warriors.
I have no idea where Durant lands. If he were smart he’d go play for Popovich and continue to expand his game as he has with Steve Kerr.
As far as the Thunder…yikes. As in double yikes. Since the All-Star break the Thunder have collapsed under the weight of a difficult schedule and we now know it wasn’t just Carmelo accounting for last season’s car wreck. It’s something else more systemic within the organization.
For the second straight season the Thunder have derailed and if you look closely at the standings the Thunder could derail all the way to the No. 8 seed. Wouldn’t that be a great reward for Clay Bennett and his ownership group after opening their wallets to do everything to put a team around Russell Westbrook.
Westbrook, of course, received his 16th technical in this game and will be suspended for Monday’s home game versus the Heat.
Not exactly an eight day span for the ages for Russell Westbrook. The incident in Utah, the complete collapse in Indy, the no show against the Warriors and a suspension while your teammates are trying to keep their season together and not fall to the No. 8 seed and a first round matchup with the Warriors.
But here’s what I’d suggest for Thunder fans…take the time to watch Steph Curry and Klay Thompson and admire two future Hall of Famers in the prime of their careers.