NEW ORLEANS – It appeared détente started once Russell Westbrook passed to a former teammate he has refused to speak to for seven months.
After catching the ball, Kevin Durant then set up on the block. He threw a lob for Westbrook to finish. And suddenly give-and-go diplomacy helped thaw an icy relationship stemmed from Durant’s free-agency departure from the Oklahoma City to the Golden State Warriors.
In that moment, Durant and Westbrook became more than just teammates by virtue of representing the Western Conference All-Stars in their 192-182 victory over the Eastern Conference All-Stars on Sunday at Smoothie King Center. Durant and Westbrook showed off the chemistry they once displayed through eight seasons together with the Thunder.
Western Conference forward Anthony Davis, who was MVP after posting an All-Star record 52 points on 26-of-39 shooting and 10 rebounds, called the sequence a “defining moment in history.” Yet, it does not appear Durant and Westbrook engaged in any give-and-go diplomacy.
“He threw a lob,” said Westbrook, who had 16-of-26 shooting in 20 minutes off the bench. “That’s all that happened. Just threw a lob. It’s basketball. That’s it.”
Durant equally downplayed the moment.
“It was a good play,” said Durant, who had 21 points on 9-of-16 shooting. “Good catch, good finish.”
Their muted reaction may not be surprising. Ever since Durant alerted Westbrook about his free-agency decision via text message, the pair’s interactions changed. Westbrook tweeted out a photo of cupcakes, a nickname he had assigned for people he considered soft. While the two talked trash at times during their regular-season matchups, they often refused to answer questions about the other. Even during pregame warmups, Russell shot by himself away from the other Western Conference All-Stars that also included Golden State’s Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.
Yet, the other Western Conference All-Stars offered a more animated reaction after Durant and Westbrook connected with each other with 4:58 left in the first quarter. The entire Western Conference bench erupted in cheers. Curry even shouted out, “Oh my God!!!” in a light-hearted tone. During a timeout at the 4:47 mark, Curry then dumped water on Durant’s head.
“That’s kind of the beauty of the game is that that’s – you just let the game break the ice,” said Golden State coach Steve Kerr, who coached the Western Conference. “That play, I thought, broke the ice, and our guys were all making fun of them, and they were both laughing. It was a nice moment.”
Other elements captured the 2017 NBA All-Star Game.
In his fourth All-Star appearance, Davis won his first All-Star MVP award in front of a hometown crowd after eclipsing Wilt Chamberlain’s 42-point All-Star Game in 1962. Neither team lacked any offensive firepower. While the West also featured Curry (21), Thompson (12 ) James Harden (12) and Marc Gasol (10) in double figures, the East included Giannis Antetokounmpo (30), LeBron James (23), Kyrie Irving (22), Isaiah Thomas (20), DeMar DeRozan (16), and Paul George (12). Even in our divided political climate, no one would dispute neither team played much defense.
But what garnered the most attention was the 80 seconds Durant and Westbrook played together. After Westbrook entered the game with 6:07 left in the first quarter, it took only 69 seconds for the give-and-go play to unfold. The West had a timeout 12 seconds later, and then Gasol entered the game for Durant.
“I didn’t really pay attention to how many minutes guys played together,” Kerr said. “I was just trying to get everybody 15 to 20 minutes or so. So that’s just how it worked out.”
Contact the writer: mmedina@scng.com
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