Russell Westbrook was defiant to the end, even in the face of an insurmountable double-digit deficit. But he and the Thunder had no more success stopping Durant in his return to Oklahoma City than they had at stopping him from leaving to join the Golden State Warriors.
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Durant, who averaged 39.5 points in two victories over his old teammates in Oakland, scored 34 in the Warriors' 130-114 win Saturday night, hitting a couple big shots down the stretch to seal the game.
Westbrook scored 47 but had the wrong kind of triple-double, finishing with 11 turnovers to go with his 11 rebounds and 8 assists.
Durant was booed loudly by an OKC crowd that chanted "Cup-cake!" at him and brought all kinds of signs calling him a "KowarD," among other things. But Durant and the Warriors took control in the first half and never let up, while Westbrook pressed to keep the Thunder within striking range, scoring 20 in the third quarter.
And while Westbrook and other Thunder players had words for Durant when things heated up, KD had the last word as his new teammates help him go home with the win. Stephen Curry had 26 points, nine assists and eight rebounds while Klay Thompson also scored 26.
The teams meet in OKC again on Mar. 20 in a nationally televised game.
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