Daily Thunder.com

Zach Harper of CBSSports.com: “Earlier today, I went down the YouTube rabbit hole of watching full boxing matches of a young Mike Tyson. I watched his fifth professional fight when he pulverized John Alderson in two rounds. I watched him obliterate the existence of Michael Johnson 39 seconds into Tyson’s eighth professional fight. I relived Mark Young and Reggie Gross show the same fear and abandonment of their game plans as soon as Tyson came after them that we saw with Michael Spinks when Tyson defeated all three of them, unifying the heavyweight titles after the 91-second destruction of Spinks. Watching Durant and Westbrook operate against the Lakers Tuesday night, I couldn’t help but feel like I was reliving the same boxing clips I had watched with Tyson earlier in the day. The combination of Durant and Westbrook is the perfect balance of exquisite technique and an unstoppable power. The footwork of both players looks flawless, keeping them stabilized while they leave their defenders sliding out of position.”

Ben Golliver of SI.com: “Remember, protecting the basketball was arguably Oklahoma City’s biggest weakness: turnovers have been this team’s Achilles’ heel. The Thunder entered the game tied for fourth in the league with 930 turnovers on the season, trailing only the Rockets, Pistons and Warriors. Their 14.7 turnover percentage — that is, the number of turnovers they commit per 100 possessions — tied for last with the Rockets. That the Thunder possess the NBA’s second-best offensive efficiency while also being so loose with the ball is impressive and it speaks to the aggressive and relentless nature of their attack. What happens when the Thunder combine their scoring efficiency with total control? 71 points on 50 shots at halftime. That’s nearly inconceivable.” Keep Reading…

KD on techs: “He (Brooks) talks to us about it, but during the heat of the moment, it’s kind of different,” Durant said with a smile. “I’ve got 12 of them. I’m not happy about it, but I don’t regret them. I’m just going to go out there and play with that fire I’ve always been playing with and hopefully I just shy away from getting the techs. Whatever happens, happens. Just live with it. Every single moment of me playing in this league, I’m going to cherish it. Try not to take it for granted, I guess.”

Tzvi Twersky of SLAM with a great feature on Russell Westbrook: “There is no irony lost in Westbrook saying he can’t make a mean or scary face. After all, if you entered the Thunder locker room pre-game and saw Westbrook with a towel shrouding his head, or if you watch the Thunder play on national TV, you’d think Westbrook (and not his teammate Perkins) invented the disgusted scowl, invented the hard stare. You’d think that he was an ornery guy who walks around all day with a chip on his shoulder the size of a Larry O’Brien trophy. You’d think that, as one person close to him put it, he looks like a villain. You’d think…wrong.” Keep Reading…