Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are former teammates that haven’t been the biggest fans of each other in recent years. A playoff matchup between KD’s Phoenix Suns and Russ’s Los Angeles Clippers was bound to bring fireworks.
As the Suns took over the game in the third quarter, Westbrook and Durant could be seen yelling at each other from across the court.
KD and Russ exchange some words đż pic.twitter.com/Q6TJitXMQw
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 19, 2023
Westbrook has been playing far better than expected, blocking Durant earlier in the game and even blocking KD in Game 1. His defensive pressure has been fantastic, as Russ has been a nightmare matchup for any of the Suns’ stars like KD, Devin Booker, or even Chris Paul.
Can The Clippers Win The Series Without Paul George?Paul George is expected to miss the entirety of this first-round series against the Suns, but recent workout videos have fans optimistic about PG13 making a return from injury in the later games in the series. Through the first 2 games, it looks like the Clippers can hold their own but need someone like PG to put them over the top. George averaged 23.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 5.1 assists this season.
Westbrook has stepped into the role of secondary star and is making life hard for the Suns. Kevin Durant hasn’t explored his full offensive arsenal due to the pressure the Clips’ keep putting on him. Unless we see KD takeover the games as he did for the Nets in the 2021 playoffs, this series may be far closer than the Suns would be comfortable with.
Kawhi Leonard dominated in Game 1 and proved to everyone once again that he’s still one of the best playoff performers of the modern era. It’ll be super exciting to see this series play out, especially with the bad blood seeping into the contests.
Source: fadeawayworld.net
