Inside The Nuggets

Kevin Durant Makes Russell Westbrook Statement After Nuggets-Suns

Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant spoke on Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook.
Joey Linn|
Dec 23, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) during the second half against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena.
Dec 23, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) during the second half against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

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Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant and Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook were one of the NBA’s most electric duos during their time as teammates on the Oklahoma City Thunder. While they never won a championship, Durant and Westbrook went to the NBA Finals in 2012 and were a game away from going back in 2016.

Facing off as opponents in Wednesday night’s NBA Christmas battle between the Nuggets and Suns, both Westbrook and Durant turned in solid performances. Scoring 17 points off the bench, Westbrook was the only Nuggets player with a positive plus/minus. As for Durant, he scored 27 points while dishing out six assists in the wining effort.

Kevin Durant
Dec 25, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) shoots against the Denver Nuggets during the first half at Footprint Center. | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

This NBA Christmas game came after a classic showdown between the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers. This was another epic duel between LeBron James and Steph Curry, but when asked about the greatness of himself and those two stars, Durant made sure to mention his former teammate after the game.

Saying it’s not just he, James, and Curry starring on Christmas, Durant said, "It's not just us three. You see Jokic tonight. You see a Hall of Famer, an icon in Russell out here tonight... It was an amazing day for basketball, I'm grateful I was able to play."

Durant and Westbrook have had some great battles since their time as teammates, and there will always be a mutual respect between the two NBA legends.

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA and WNBA for On SI. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined On SI to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts and in the classroom earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time, primarily serving as a Clippers beat writer.

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