“Nothing to see here, move along.”
No, we’re not just quoting Chief Clancy Wiggum, we’re summing up what Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Thunder coach Scott Brooks said about the altercation on the bench between Westbrook and Durant on Wednesday.
Royce Young of Eye on Basketball spoke to Westbrook and Durant about everything at shootaround on Thursday before they faced the Mavericks.
“What happened?” (Westbrook) said when asked about the incident. “Oh, I don’t know what you’re talking about. But we got a game tonight and I’m looking forward to playing against Dallas….”
“I don’t think nothing happened,” (Durant) said. “People keep saying we had this and that happen on the sideline. Nobody seen nothing. They didn’t hear anything. Somebody said that something happened. Everybody on the bench was yelling, the coaches were yelling, not at each other in a bad way but trying to get everything in order. We gave up a few points in that possession so we were trying to get back in order. We were playing a good game and slacked off a little bit for two or three minutes so everybody was yelling.
Brooks told the Oklahoman these kinds of things can be good for teams.
“When you have an intense game, you’re going to have arguments,” Brooks told The Oklahoman. “I have no problem with it. I think it’s healthy. I think you learn from it and you get better with it. That’s just part of an NBA game. We have it and other teams have it. Good teams, bad teams and average teams. I have no issues with how our guys compete. At times they get frustrated. But it’s always about the team.”
And now, we are going to drop this topic. Frankly, if the Thunder were losing these kinds of incidents could fester and become bigger problems. But the Thunder are 3-0 (heading into Thursday’s game against the Mavericks) and they fully look the part of contenders. These guys want to win and will put personality differences aside to make it happen.
And there are not going to be any major trades.
Nothing to see here, move along.
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AP
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AP
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AP
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AP
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AP
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