Kevin Durant is clearly a one-upper.
Russell Westbrook had the arena chanting his name. Had everyone inside Chesapeake Arena behind him, believing in him, supporting him.
And then Durant went all Durant and hit a game-winning shot. Such is the life of a second banana, I guess.
Westbrook appeared to have re-discovered what makes him such a major part of the Thunder though, which isn’t to be overlooked. Westbrook carried the Thunder to the finish line, but Durant pushed Oklahoma City over. That’s a team.
Vince Carter looked to have ripped the Thunder’s heart out with a go-ahead 3 with 1.4 seconds left during an emotional game against the team that eliminated the Thunder in last season’s playoffs. It had the feeling of another devastating, heartbreaking Mavs loss. With OKC up five, Jason Terry drills a 3. Then Serge Ibaka had a critical double-miss that left the door open for Carter and the Mavs.
But in came Durant to save the day, drilling a gorgeous 3 at the buzzer. Was it a perfect play drawn up by Scott Brooks? Not much different than the ones we saw all of last season, which is to say, no. This one just happened to go in.
“I just tried to shoot a good one,” Durant said. “I’m just glad I made it, man. I’m glad I made it.”
This game was almost a perfect snapshot of the Thunder though. If you ever want to try and explain this team and how it functions with Westbrook and Durant, here’s your go-to tape. Durant and James Harden kept OKC’s head above water as Westbrook struggled again for the first 44 minutes or so. Finally, using a fastbreak dunk and-1, Westbrook found a spark. He entered the game with 6:41 left 3-11 for nine points. He finished 3-4 with seven of the Thunder’s final seven. But it was Durant’s last three that sealed it.
Call it exorcising demons, call it revenge, but this win has to taste a little sweeter for the Thunder. The Mavs weren’t only a major thorn in the Thunder’s backside during the playoffs, but beat Oklahoma City in the most painful ways possible. A Game 4 meltdown and then a crushing Game 5 loss left the Thunder looking for answers in Dallas as their season abruptly came to an end.
“That was about as hard as we can play,” Scott Brooks said. “At the end of a game you want everybody on your team to have an empty gas tank and everybody was empty.”
Durant’s shot did a lot of things. One, it beat the Mavericks, finally. But it also helped cleanse the last 24 hours a bit. Nobody is going to be talking about him and Westbrook, at least not for now. At least not for the wrong reasons. You may be saying, “THAT’S why this is KD’s team!” but Westbrook would agree with you tonight. He said after the game, “He lives for shots like that. He has come such a long way and I’m happy for him man.”
If there was ever something symbolic of somebody putting their foot down and telling everyone to shutup and move on, it was Durant drilling that 3. Another growing moment for this young Thunder group. Another experience for them to tuck away in their pocket and call upon at a later time when needed.
It’s just the fourth game of a long, but also short, 66-game season. Still, there was something more to this one, for a whole lot of different reasons.
NOTES:
- One of the most incredible moments I’ve ever experience inside that arena was the crowd chanting “RUSS-ELL! RUSS-ELL!” after he finished the and-1 dunk. KD was walking around waving his arms in the air for more. It was a special moment. “It’s amazing man,” Westbrook said. “It’s amazing what these fans will do for you man. I love this city and my teammates. I’m just thankful.”
- “There’s a reason you never give up on Russell Westbrook. Because Russell don’t care.” That was the lede I had written with a minute left to go. Boy, that one got changed around, huh?
- KD said all he remembers before the final play was Reggie Jackson saying he was going to make that last shot.
- KD on Westbrook: “The crowd was unbelievable tonight encouraging him and I think that gave him some extra push. We can only do so much. We’re always on top of him encouraging but the fans for the fans to do that meant a lot and he hit some big shots … That shows how much they follow us out there. For them to encourage him like that was beautiful to see. I’m glad he was able to carry us in the last few minutes of the fourth and lead us to a good win.”
- If Scott Brooks doesn’t want to start James Harden, he should at least do it against Dallas. Harden was +22, Thabo was -19. OKC trailed early but went on an 18-4 run after Harden checked in. Then the Mavs started the second half 16-6, but OKC went on a 13-5 spurt once Harden entered again. Wake up there, Scott.
- For 95 percent of this game, it was hard not to notice Westbrook’s body language. It was hard to tell if he was depressed or pouting, or if it was more him trying to stay calm and keep an even keel despite struggling again.
- Westbrook bouncing back was really a special thing to see. I honestly have a funny taste in my mouth over the way this game ended, because it seemed like it was going to be Westbrook’s night. He was going to be the story. But then Durant came in and stole all the glory from him again. This could almost be a tougher thing to cope with than the issues of last night and today. It’s another character test for the young point guard.
- Holy turnovers, batman. The Thunder turned it over 26 times which led to 29 Dallas points. Cut those in half and OKC wins by 15.
- KD had six assists again. He hasn’t had less than three yet this season.
- Did you see OKC go to the new crunchtime play again late? And it worked with KD hitting a nice free throw line jumper.
- OKC likes trying to work Perk in the post, but he has one move and one move only. Fake turn over his right shoulder on the catch and then try and muscle his defender down as close to the rim as possible and then turn and shoot a hook over his left shoulder. That’s it.
- Except for that one time tonight where he got it on the other block and turned over his right shoulder.
- SERGE IBAKA IS INSANE WITH ANGER. I am completely petrified looking at this picture. Nightmares, me, tonight.
- Westbrook’s jumper was off again and it looked to me he was holding the ball just a touch too long and releases on the way down instead of the peak of his leap. That’s why most everything is short. It’s out of rhythm.
- Ibaka is definitely OK. 37 minutes, three blocks, 16 points and eight rebounds. And he nearly killed Vince Carter.
- KD’s handle is so much improved. Maybe the top thing he’s gotten better at over the summer. I think that’s why his assists are going up is because he controls the ball better.
- Not really feeling Eric Maynor’s new runner that he shotputs 40 feet into the air.
- Harden, quietly terrific again. He finished with 15 on 4-8 shooting and did most his damage in the first half.
- I nearly died via t-shirt cannon tonight. I got smacked hard in the back of the neck with a balled up shirt. I thought it was all over for me.
- The Thunder shot 58.7 percent tonight! And almost lost. Why? Because the Mavs took 27 more shots than OKC.
- How good was Perk on Dirk? Take that Chris Webber.
- Tonight’s pregame mood was definitely different. The team was subdued, quiet and somber. I don’t know if it was about what happened last night and today, but there was certainly some tension in the air. The team talked about the supposed incident and basically said it didn’t happen.
Next up: Phoenix at home New Year’s Eve.
I am going to spew my dinner if I hear any more Westbrook bashing. It all started in the playoffs with Barkley being Barkley and saying silly stuff. Westbrook was an all star last year and still is. He is getting the ball to everyone now. We have two bonafide superstars on the Thunder. It isn't all KD. RW proved that last night. Carter made that late 3 because KD got suckered on to Dirk and left him wide open. He admitted that.
I am terribly afraid that RW might want to move because this just has to be getting old for him. It is all baloney from people who love to invent controversy.
I am up for ideas on a t-shirt and bumper stickers showing how much Thunder fans appreciate Russ and his insane athletic ability. I will have a heart attack if he wants to split OKC over this. We would instantly lose a shot at the championship without him.
I love Russ. He is a joy to watch and he needs to know that this town is behind him. Put all of that silly talk to rest for good. Nothing is broken with Russel Westbrook. Give him his max contract and we will be strong for years to come. He is an all star, same as KD.
Loved Russ in the last part of the game. The steal in the corner was particularly fantastic, and both the jumpers he hit were nails. BUT... I'm not giving him full forgiveness yet. Seven turnovers again? I mean, it takes away from the comeback performance when you have to fill in the hole you dug your team into.
KD was just brilliant. This was the first game where I can honestly say he's the best player in the league. 30-11-6 on 16 shots, and 32 the previous game on 17 shots? The list of players that can pull that off is very, very, short.
So was the shot so good I actually chose to use it as my avatar? Absolutely.
So Royce almost got Maude Flandered?
@anonymous12345 +1.
@Royce Young I saw that t-shirt get launched (I think). It was a bungee launch straight to the rafters. It ricocheted back right to the media section. I winced for you, man. Glad you made it through it.
Possibly the greatest shot in franchise history....Yes...I went there.
@C-Wil team history*
Just reliving the final game minute through acronym: WTF?!? . . . SMH . . . OMG! OMG, KD! . . . LMAO
Still laughing this morning :)
portland dargged denver back down to earth, the whole denver is the second best team in the west should go away for a bit.
@f5alcon I still think Denver is very good. They are a top 4 seed in the West.
Did anyone else get a sense of deja vu after KD hit that shot? The way everyone was crowding around him and touching his head, it looked like Rucker Park all over again.
@TaoMaas My friend called me immediately after the game and all we could say was Rucker park, man. Rucker park.
Anyone hear Scott Brooks on the Dan Patrick Show yesterday? Chris Mannix was guest hosting for him. It was as really interesting interview and I'd like to hear it again. Anyone know where the audio might be? Normally DP posts podcasts of his shows, but there are none for the days there is a guest host.
When KD hit that 3, we started yelling Perk's line from the game with the Grizzlies...."Yeah, it's like that tonight!" KD is the man!
I didn't see the story from tonight as any sort of KD stepping on Westbrook's glory or anything like that. More of 'Hey rest of the NBA, you see how good this team is when both these guys are rolling? Yeah, you should be worried right now.'
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@deleted_1998213_Don'tStoptheSergeing I asked this last night...what does Thabo bring to this team? 13 minutes, -19 while playing with RW and KD with Serge and Perk guarding the post. And don't tell me it's defense. He has let his man score easily in all 4 games. It's time for Thabo to stay on the bench. If you want Harden to be the 6th man, start DCook...
Awesome win tonight. As a strong Westbrook critic I'd have to say this, the Thunder can't do it without him. The Thunder really need Westbrook to both find his game and find his role. We love him and hopefully he sees that. There's no shame in playing second fiddle to one of the greatest to ever play. Everyone knows Pippen's name.
@itstheMs Right on man. Would you rather be Patrick Ewing or Scottie Pippen? Personally I'd rather be Pippen.
@Old Man Game Totally agree. Hopefully as they mature as both players and people Westbrook and Durant will continue to realize how great they can be together, without their egos.
@yehoshuagardner I didn't say that Pippen liked being second fiddle. I just said that everyone knows his name. No one can promise anyone rings. However, any player would have a better shot winning rings when they're playing alongside one of the best players if not the best player in the league. At some point you have to realize your ceiling and understand that you also need greatness around you. The Celtics are a great example of that understanding.
@yehoshuagardner
But there's two Scottie Pippins...the one who played with Jordan on the Bulls and the one who played for Houston/Portland. Which would you rather be?
@itstheMs@Old Man Game I'm pretty sure that Pippen didn't like being Pippen. From what I've heard, he didn't really like being in Jordan's shadow. I'm sure he loved the rings, but no one can promise Westbrook a ring, much less multiple rings, if he stays 2nd fiddle.
from espn:
The last NBA regular season game with two go-ahead 3-pointers with less than 3 seconds remaining also involved Kevin Durant and the Thunder.
It was January 2, 2009 (Nuggets at Thunder), when Kevin Durant hit a 3-pointer with 2.7 seconds left to put the Thunder ahead before Carmelo Anthony hit a 3-pointer with 0.1 seconds left to give the Nuggets the win.
The Thunder are currently 4-0 this season. The Thunder also had 4 wins the last time this happened. The difference? They were 34 games into the season. The Thunder were 4-30 at that time.
This goes into the cannon of great thunder games.
Harden was on the floor 30+ minutes. No excuse. Sure it looked like Russ found his shot. But he has to do a better job managing the tempo of the game...........and so on (broken record)
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Harden played 35 minutes. Second most on the team.
Sorry. Third most. Serge played 37. Thabo played only 13 minutes. I know that's not starting, but just saying...
@Grolgar and was -19 in 13 minutes I believe....
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What will happen when we play a really consistent, sound, and relatively turnover-free game? Watch out!
Any video of the Dallas bench during the final seconds? I ALMOST feel bad for them.
@ThunderChick2010 In the video above you can see JKidd standig there for a second with a dejected look before swatting at the ball and heading to the locker room. It makes me smile.
@ThunderChick2010 Until you think of Terry dancing on our logo in the middle of the court.
I remember yelling at Terry as he danced on our logo last season as loud as I could, "YOU SUCK TERRY!!" So ya, I'm loving this. @OkcBaby @ThunderChick2010
@RandySanders@OkcBaby@ThunderChick2010 If Terry looks at Durant's mom after making another 3 pointer again I am jumping from loud city onto the court and giving him a beating
Exactly! I hate Jason Terry. I don't feel sorry for him at all.
Are there any videos of the crowd chanting for Westbrook?
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@deleted_1998213_Don'tStoptheSergeing@PBL Thanks!!!
@PBL I can only find the dunk before the foul shot
@PBL I'd like to see that too. Couldn't pick this up from the TNT telecast, but I'm sure it's one of those things Brian Davis would have pointed out. . . .
@ThunderChick2010@PBL The TNT announcer pointed it out. Though, he thought they were saying "Westbrook."
@yehoshuagardner @PBL aaaah, I do remember him saying this. . . .
We won 3 of our 4 games in the final minute.How many exciting games will our players play this season?
LAL, Celtics and Mavs all winless. And loving it.
@GeoLogger Lakers are 2-2
@OkcBaby@GeoLogger i don't like the laker having 2 wins, i just like informed okc fans!
I was just told they haven't won, my grandson reiterates this empahtically. Should I ground him?
@GeoLogger No i thought they were 2
i would love to see an mma match between ibaka and vince.... i would pay top dollar to see that team-quitter get his face smashed in
"One of the most incredible moments I’ve ever experience inside that arena was the crowd chanting “RUSS-ELL! RUSS-ELL!” after he finished the and-1 dunk. KD was walking around waving his arms in the air for more. It was a special moment. “It’s amazing man,” Westbrook said. “It’s amazing what these fans will do for you man. I love this city and my teammates. I’m just thankful.”"
This was terrific. I even got a little choked up watching it at home, thinking about how amazing that must have made Russ feel. Thanks for getting his reaction to this Royce. Good stuff!
@Daniel Hawaii I was at the game and it was probably one of the coolest things I've ever seen. I was a tad worried it would continue through his foul shot though. But it didn't.
@Daniel Hawaii As a new season ticket holder, I'm proud to say I was a part of this moment! :)
@Durienne@Daniel Hawaii I just got home, sure was a short drive this time. I was still high when I went past Weatherford and the Sports Animal went off. We need them to stay on about 45 miles longer. What a game.
@GeoLogger
You can try switching to the AM station 640, its lower quality than the FM one but it generally travels farther
Download the WWLS app on any smart phone and you can listen all the way home. I listen to it when I'm driving around in Kansas and Texas all the time...