Thursday, December 29th, 2011 at 11:45 am  |  97 responses

Kevin Durant Downplays Heated Altercation With Russell Westbrook


by Marcel Mutoni / @marcel_mutoni

Russell Westbrook had a terrible night during the OKC Thunder’s thrilling win in Memphis. The point guard didn’t connect on any of his 13 field goal attempts, and he forced up many bad shots to boot.

Most interestingly, Westbrook got into a heated argument with Kevin Durant during a second-quarter timeout.

According to Durant, even though this isn’t the first time he’s had a yelling match with Westbrook in a public setting, the latest incident between the two Thunder stars is nothing to get too worked up over.

Reports the Oklahoman:

Westbrook’s frustration appeared to have started with just 3 1/2 minutes remaining in the second quarter when he drove into the paint and kicked the ball out to Thabo Sefolosha in the corner. Sefolosha passed up a wide open 3-pointer, which prompted Westbrook to yell at Sefolosha “shoot the (expletive) ball.” Sefolosha and other teammates, including Durant and center Kendrick Perkins attempted to calm Westbrook down immediately during an ensuing trip to the free throw line. But the emotions spilled over to the bench one minute later.

Durant appeared to again settle Westbrook, but Westbrook appeared to take exception to how Durant delivered his message. The two began shouting at each other and had to be separated. Durant patted Westbrook on the head when the two took the court out of the timeout, and the two seemed to communicate well throughout the rest of the game. “We’re going to disagree sometimes, like I’ve always been saying,” Durant said. “But I’m behind him 110 percent, and he’s the same way with me. And you seen when we came on the floor we clicked and everything started to work from there.”

Russell Westbrook left the locker room before reporters could ask him about any of this.

This is the fourth season for the increasingly fascinating and fruitful Durant/Westbrook relationship. Both guys have always said that they want to continue working and playing together.

One factor to consider is that Russell Westbrook is (rightly) angling for a rich contract extension; it will be interesting to see what — if anything — OKC Thunder management and coaches do to address the dynamic between Kevin and Russ, as they move forward with such a critical decision on their point guard.

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  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    I’m pretty sure it was assumed that Harden & Reke would end up better than Westbrook in terms of offensive options.

  • http://cnbc.com JTaylor21

    Reke and Russ have decent post games but how many times do their teams elect to put them on the block? The only logical option for both guy is to improve their mid-range jumper, so that teams have no choice but to play them straight up.

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    That’s true for every player that can’t shoot. it stll doesn’t excuse their lack of being actual PG’s while playing the position. Rondo can’t shoot to save his life. For Example.

  • Andy Blacksmith

    Lol @ Wade being a better clutch player. Do you realize how bad Miami was last year in the final ten seconds when tied or down by 3 or less? 1 for 29. If you ask me, at least in terms of clutch play, I would take KD/Russ over LBJ/DWade. The point still stands that two people can’t win you a championship. It doesn’t depend on who your two best players are, it depends on who is around your two best players.

  • http://slamonline.com datkid

    reke and russ are basically the same player aren’t they? only reke is longer and has better playmaking and russell westbrook is more athletic, a better rebounder and better defensively.

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    I wouldn’t say they are the same. Skill wise, Evans is much further advanced than Westbrook. Athletically Westbrook is much further along than Evans. Defensively, against comparable physical/athletic players, each guy is very good. Evans is very underrated. Westbrook is one of the best defensive PG’s in the NBA. On the teams they are on currently, they don’t guard the same position. So comparing them defensively is pretty difficult. But offensively Evans is more shifty break his player down, and Westbrook is more brute speed and power. If you minimized them to their strengths and weaknesses though, yeah they are the same player.

  • Gametimeweezy

    No problem with Russ or Reke’s game, but emotionally Westbrook takes himself out of the game. This wasn’t the first time. He’s emotionally unstable.

  • http://cnbc.com JTaylor21

    I’m not using it as an excuse. Both guys aren’t true PGs and probably will never be so I don’t why everyone is expecting them to turn into JKidd overnight.

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    Oh I c. My bad. I don’t expect them to pick it up very quickly. Actually I don’t expect Evans to pick it up at all, but Westbrook has chance as long as he and the people around him have patience enough to wait through all of his growing pains.

  • Chris

    1st season – plays PG for the first time
    2nd season – makes playoffs
    3rd season – makes Western Conf Finals
    4th season – 3-0 so far

    The only thing that keeps going down about Russ is his reputation, while ironically he and his team are on the rise. Let dude play and figure it out…KD still has his back

  • http://www.slamonline.com Tarzan Cooper

    Reke really isn’t a pg, but he’s a great playmaker. More so than russ and durant, which is why I thought he would be a perfect fit for okc. Beno worked well in the backcourt with reke. Idk about jimmer, he’s not really a pg either. He doesn’t have to be, reke is the playmaker, even if he is a sg.

  • Ldub20

    @AD
    what im saying is, and i guess i need to re-word it since you didnt get it last time. Wade’s abilities are far greater that Russell’s. (in every category)—yes Russ is young, but hes been in the L long enuff to understand that its a team effort and not individual stats that matter. You arent gonna see wade forcing a mid range jumper with a man all in his mug with 16sec left on the shot clock. And Wade wasnt doing that at Russ’ age either. As far as the Wade running pg…i was saying that if you put the ball in wades hands, in the same situations as westbrook…you would get a much greater outcome. either by him scoring himself or by him finding the open man. i agree (yet again)…westbrook is young…and has alot to learn…and if he doesnt learn soon, he will be out of OKC and they will bring in someone who can give their “superstar” the ball. And for you to say that Wade doesnt defend lets me know that you are basically biased towards OKC. Bottom line is Wade/James and their “talents” are far greater in every stat category (except for Durants shot), than that of the team of Russ/KD. Good luck to OKC and Russ getting rings with Russ playing the way he does.

  • Ldub20

    @Chris….the reason the season is going the way it is for OKC is because of KD! Everyone is so quick to say its because of Russ at the point…and its not. If you put another guard in there, you more than likely would get the same results. Maybe better results because 9/10…KD would have the ball more. You cannot have a shoot first point guard running the show, when you have a talent like KD at the 3 that is virtually unguardable. Russ should pick his spots better, let the game come to him. But by forcing shots, taking bad shots, making turnovers etc, he is taking himself (mentally and physically) out of the game, and making it much harder for his team to win.

  • AQWORD

    Russ is like a poor man’s Iverson & the thing he lacks is that Iverson made other players around him better. + like a Young Gun(from the movie) would have said ” HE AIN’T ALL THERE IS HE ? ” :-)

  • http://cnbc.com JTaylor21

    Iverson made his teammates better? that’s news to me.

  • Ldub20

    Would love to know how my comments got deleted! went from 63 comments to 60!? weak sauce. had some good back n forth with AD

  • Ldub20

    ok so now they are back???

  • Chris

    @Ldub20 I’m a huge KD fan, and root for the Thunder solely because of him. But there is no denying…KD is the WORST superstar in the NBA at moving without the ball. Often the shots that Westbrook takes are the result of a bad or failed offensive scheme–and in almost all of those situations KD stops moving. I am not saying that’s the sole reason for the shots he takes, but it contributes more than people will admit. If/when KD really learns how to move without the ball, Westbrook will easily average 10 assists and he’ll easily average 35/game. It’s so much easier to blame Westbrook because his game is so visibly flawed, but you’re wrong about the team’s success. The attitude that Russ plays with was part of the reason OKC has overachieved each of his years on the team, not just Durant’s growth.

  • chingy

    AQWORD…really? Last time I checked, AI doesn’t have nearly the same hops as Russ and a way better shot/handles. They’re not close.

  • chingy

    Ldub20, your browser caches your pages so when you saw the 60 comment version of the website, it’s a cached version. And then the 63 is the new version. Sometimes, browsers get confused and show you the cached version when there is a newer version of the page.

  • http://www.facebook.com/joe.l.brewer3 BlackPhantom

    Iverson didn’t make his teammates better.

  • burnt_chicken

    Iverson dragged a second rate Sixers squad to the Finals. He dragged them there. If he didn’t make his teammates better, how’d he do that?

  • burnt_chicken

    It’s like people remember/read/are told one thing about one part of a player’s career and they take that one thing and revision/recast/forecast the entire career of said player under that one little banner. People that do that are either 10 years old or not very smart fans. And there’s a lot of them. I could be equally speaking about Westbrook or Iverson here.

  • http://thetroyblog.com Teddy-the-Bear

    Well, the Sixers went to the finals because we all know Mount Mutombo made his teammates better. So he made Iverson good enough to take them to the Finals.

  • chingy

    They went to the finals because:
    a) the East sucked that year
    b) Iverson was at the peak of his prime
    The Lakers should have swept them instead of the in 5. Still, it was a joy to see AI do his thing back then. He could drop 50 in his sleep back then.

  • Hart

    *cough*….. Marbury…..*cough*

  • http://knicks.com Gametimeweezy

    Aaron McKey, George Lynch, and Matt Geiger… how good was Iverson supposed to make them? But anyways juries still out on Westbrook acting like a girl all the time lets see if he bounces back. They’re on in 15 mins vs the Mavs on TNT.

  • AQWORD

    Blackfantom & chingy don’t have a clue about true ball . LOL . Thanx chicken & Gametimeweezy.

  • http://www.kb24.com The Seed

    Russell Westbrook is the key to OKC’s success. Really people, Russell is an uptempo fast break point guard, who guards, passes, rebounds and gets you assist.s What does Kevin Durant do, shoot, score, chuck and shoot. Russell is the key to OKC’s success. I hope Russell demands a trade, because he deserves better treatment from his team and should have the green light in my opinion too, like Kevin. Stop looking at Westbrook faults, Kevin has some himself on defense and moving without the ball and setting teammates up to for easy shots. BOOK IT!!

  • AQWORD

    OKC v Dallas . Russ is having a sic 4th quarter.

  • AQWORD

    Coldblooded Durantula killed the Mavs. Sic Game 4 sho. Dallas 0-3 Lovin it. What heated altercation ? :-)

  • robb

    People, Russ has no discipline. He’s talented but talent with no discipline gets you nothing.

  • knicksfanatic

    westbrook has big ego too?wow

  • Pingback: Inexperience Highlights Altercation Between Durant and Westbrook | The Hoop Doctors

  • AD

    all of this slander is funny becuz…. ya mine as well just say i agree with the media becuz ya sure dont think for ya selfs……

  • http://www.thesmashbrothas.com zen garden

    if we wants a bigger contract he should work on not turning the ball over an over an over again

  • AQWORD

    serious, 6 T.O. per is (cleveland’s voice from familly guy) ”NAAAASTYYY”

  • http://Www.slamonline.com TADOne

    Maybe my reading comprehension is off today but was someone making the argument that Wade and Westbrook belong in the same category skill-wise?!? Wade is 10 times the player Westbrook will ever be.

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4J1xRFfh1zU&feature=youtube_gdata_player nbk

    Holler at an old reg when you see them in the street. What’up Tad it’s been forever.

  • http://Www.slamonline.com TADOne

    I’m good NBK. My Pistons are another story. Just stopping thru on my day of birth.

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4J1xRFfh1zU&feature=youtube_gdata_player nbk

    Oh happy birthday my dood. Atleast y’all got Brandon Knight and Greg Monroe, they gotta bright future if Joe D stops giving out contracts to anyone interested.

  • http://www.slamonline.com Tarzan Cooper

    Pistons have an interesting squad, and charlie v. Some high quality young players, plus tay ben and stuck. They should be able to sneak into the playoffs.

  • Ldub20

    @Chris…so youre saying that because KD doesnt sprint around like Rip or Ray that Russ cant find him? There have been ample times when KD was posting up, or just standing there with his man at least 5 feet away and Russ wouldnt pass. Just get KD the ball and let him do work. He has a better chance (because of his size) to beat his man.

    You say the reason they overachieved was because of Russ. I feel the reason they underachieved was because of Russ. His statline looked good, but when you look at the flaws (which youve admitted he clearly has) that is why he was on the bench in the 4th qtr. KD doesnt have to move without the ball for their offense to flurish. And its not about just getting the ball to KD…there are 3 other guys very capable of making shots (if Russ would pass first). Like I said before, the guy is mad talented, and im not picking on him…hes actually my 3rd fave pg behind rose and curry. But I just want him to be a smarter player so he stops getting knocked for perfomances like the other night going 0-13. with his talent and size…he should be shooting 50% with 8 asts per. His mental status keeps him from doing that.

  • Ldub20

    ^4th (rose, paul and curry)

  • http://dodgers.com Joey E.

    you guys read Adande? he suggested Steph Curry for Russell. wtf is he smoking? they wont trade Steph for Chris Paul, but they’ll trade him for Westbrook? and Westbrook + Monta would be a disaster. cmon JA

  • Gametimweezy

    That could be one of those trades where OKC may feel they are trading or another great scorer in Curry who’s personality might be a better fit to coincide wih Durants. On Golden States end Stephs Curry’s ankle must be a huge question mark at his point. I think it could work for both teams, a Monta and Russ backcourt I’m buying whatever Mark Jakson is sellin lol

  • masood104

    Man imagine the team if both of them just clicked the thunder would be amazing . . .

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