Daily Thunder.com

Kevin Durant was named the sixth most powerful person in the NBA by SI.com: “The Thunder’s forward is considered the Tim Duncan of his generation (in terms of values more so than style of play) and a hero to small-market franchises throughout the NBA. When teammate James Harden was traded to Houston on the eve of this season in a move designed to avoid luxury taxes that Oklahoma City couldn’t afford, Durant didn’t complain about the financial limitations of his franchise — instead he responded with his best season yet while extending his prodigious leadership skills. He creates a powerful example for young players, and his matchup with James is on the verge of forming the NBA’s most important rivalry.”

Kevin Pelton of ESPN Insider examining popularity: “Westbrook’s lack of popularity is not entirely surprising. Though only Chris Paul is clearly superior among West guards, Westbrook finished fifth in All-Star voting, behind starters Paul and Bryant, James Harden and Jeremy Lin. What’s odd is that Westbrook’s polarizing game doesn’t translate into much attention online — he ranks 16th in Google search volume.” Keep Reading…

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…