Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant have spent eight years together during their time at OKC Thunder between 2008 and 2016. The duo have plenty of memories together. During their time, the Thunder were a title contender in the Western Conference. However, their relationship soured when Durant left for the Golden State Warriors in 2016.
Durant won two NBA Championship titles with the Warriors and since then they have met several times On Monday, they met again when Westbrook’s Lost Angeles Clippers were hosting Durant’s Phoenix Suns.
During the game, the duo shared a banter remembering the memories from their Thunder days. “I am coming,” Westbrook said. “I don’t want no problems gangsta,” Durant responded. The interaction was heard by the Clippers bench and they loved it.
Durant and Westbrook were big stars during their time at OKC Thunder. So was James Harden, who left the franchise in 2012. Harden, Durant and Westbrook created the “Big Three” at OKC Thunder.
Coming to the present, Westbrook and the Clippers have found their rhythm as they play consistent basketball nowadays. Following their 138-111 win over the Suns, they have won six of the past seven games and seven wins in the past 10.
After the arrival of James Harden, the Clippers struggled a lot. However, they turned it around and now are 2.5 games behind the Minnesota Timberwolves, who hold the top spot in the West. The Clippers are the ninth-best defensive rating. Recently, Westbrook made it clear that defense will be key for the team if they want to win the Championship.
“Our defense is gonna win us games. Not just that, it’s gonna have an opportunity to win championships. Every night, I wanna lead by my defense, and I want our guys to do the same,” the former NBA MVP said, via Sports Illustrated.
Westbrook has been coming off the bench this season for the Clippers and that has worked brilliantly for the franchise. This sacrifice has helped them build the chemistry around many superstar players. Westbrook hasn’t missed any game so far and is averaging 10.9 points per game, 6.1 rebounds per game and 4.6 assists per game.
While the Clippers are in fourth spot in the Western Conference with a record of 23-13, the Phoenix Suns are ninth with an underwhelming record of 19-18.
