Against the Knicks – a team that struggles to cut off penetration from point guards – Westbrook came out aggressively, scoring 15 points (5-9 FG, 1-2 3FG) in the first quarter, propelling Oklahoma City to a nine-point, 35-26 lead after one.
He finished the first half with 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the floor to go with his 4 assists and 2 turnovers.
Meanwhile, Kevin Durant had 13 points on 3-for-7 shooting and 5-of-6 from the line, to go with 4 assists, 3 rebounds and 2 turnovers. Durant never really seemed in rhythm for those first 24 minutes.
“The first half I was upset with myself that I didn’t get going,” he said. “I wasn’t aggressive enough. I think in that third quarter, I just started being more aggressive. Coach just told me not to pass in that fourth, but I just wanted to make the right basketball play. My teammates made some shots and that freed me up a bit to make some shots in the fourth.”
Durant did his part in the second half, dropping 21 points on 6-for-13 from the field and 9-of-9 at the charity stripe. He finished with 34 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists and 7 turnovers (reminiscent of years past, when he turned the ball over at a higher rate).
On the other hand, Westbrook tailed off in the second half, going 1-for-9 from the field for 2 points while picking up two player control fouls in more than 17 minutes of action.
Last night, Durant and Westbrook played the type of yin-yang game the media (cough, Charles Barkley, and no, I’m not watching TNT while writing this article) feast on regularly.
Just know that within the Oklahoma City locker room, these guys are A-OK with one another, despite the constant questions outsiders pose about whether Westbrook shoots too much, is too out of control, or whether he’ll ever understand that he should be more of a playmaker.
The questions will continue to pile up as the playoffs approach, as the Thunder drop a game in the first or second round because Westbrook fails to hit KD when he’s open, just as he missed him down the stretch last night.
But when he makes the right combination of shots and decisions that culminate with a championship parade – whether it’s this season or in a few seasons – when he silences the doubters with the abilities to back his arrogant, superstar personality up, you can bet there won’t be anyone happier for him than Kevin Durant.
Such is the relationship of one of the youngest, most dynamic duos this game has ever seen.
Regardless of what anyone outside the locker room chooses to believe.
Jeremy Bauman is an aspiring shooting coach and scout who writes columns and blogs for SheridanHoops.com. Follow him on Twitter.