1/18 | Wednesday Game Thread | NBA on ESPN

[Fico92]

Black belt in karate. Zaza would of been on the floor the second he did that

No, he wouldn't have done anything. It woulda been the typical "hold me back man!" because the players don't want to get suspended costing themselves potentially millions depending on how long the suspension is.

[righterwriter]

OKC REALLY wants to beat the Warriors. There's a lot there based on their intense head to head battles the last few seasons, Durant's departure, and of course just competitive spirit going against the best. So yeah, when you have a team that motivated to want to beat you, why not admit that you really want to beat them as well, in particular for the teammate who they are all gunning for?

OKC may REALLY want to beat the Warriors, but it's such a lopsided match-up and I think even they know that. I mean, OKC was getting consistently beat by the Warriors last year, even with Durant. 0-3 in the regular season, then lost in the playoffs. Durant didn't change which team wins in this match-up, he just jumped over to the winning side.

As an OKC fan and resident, it's actually easier watching him play against OKC than other teams. Watching him play against other teams just reminds me of how good he is and how good OKC would be with him. Watching him play against OKC reminds me of how even with Durant, OKC couldn't beat GS, so him leaving didn't change any outcome in that context. Yesterday felt like one the games from last year. Warriors kind of mess around for awhile until it's time to close and put the game away. It's just another OKC loss to GS, and even Kevin Durant wasn't able to change that.

I guess that's why it's weird to me. You're a top 3-5 player in the league playing on a team almost as good as the Warriors. You completely swing the balance by joining them, and now you take pleasure in beating down the team you left, who is now clearly inferior because you left? That's like joining in with the bullies in jumping another kid. It's almost sociopathic.

That's an interesting way to look at it I never considered. I guess I never associated the Thunder as the victims, I just saw Durant wanting to go to a better situation for his career and perhaps for his personal life.

I don't think KD wants to embarrass the Thunder, but I think he knows that they are in the stage where they want to embarrass him (a defeat would do that), so he competes harder to make sure that doesn't happen. His teammates know that as well, so they back him up.

There's no real acrimony here, I believe. Just a bit of time to heal. KD isn't a bad guy and I believe he didn't do anything truly bad here, either. Some people might not like it (let's call them mostly fans of teams that want a better chance to win or fans that sympathize with being a victim more than being understanding of KD's desire to play on a great team), but I think things will get better as people get their own stuff going on and hopefully appreciate seeing a team that plays basketball beautifully.

[Patches Perry]

OKC REALLY wants to beat the Warriors. There's a lot there based on their intense head to head battles the last few seasons, Durant's departure, and of course just competitive spirit going against the best. So yeah, when you have a team that motivated to want to beat you, why not admit that you really want to beat them as well, in particular for the teammate who they are all gunning for?

OKC may REALLY want to beat the Warriors, but it's such a lopsided match-up and I think even they know that. I mean, OKC was getting consistently beat by the Warriors last year, even with Durant. 0-3 in the regular season, then lost in the playoffs. Durant didn't change which team wins in this match-up, he just jumped over to the winning side.

As an OKC fan and resident, it's actually easier watching him play against OKC than other teams. Watching him play against other teams just reminds me of how good he is and how good OKC would be with him. Watching him play against OKC reminds me of how even with Durant, OKC couldn't beat GS, so him leaving didn't change any outcome in that context. Yesterday felt like one the games from last year. Warriors kind of mess around for awhile until it's time to close and put the game away. It's just another OKC loss to GS, and even Kevin Durant wasn't able to change that.

I guess that's why it's weird to me. You're a top 3-5 player in the league playing on a team almost as good as the Warriors. You completely swing the balance by joining them, and now you take pleasure in beating down the team you left, who is now clearly inferior because you left? That's like joining in with the bullies in jumping another kid. It's almost sociopathic.

That's an interesting way to look at it I never considered. I guess I never associated the Thunder as the victims, I just saw Durant wanting to go to a better situation for his career and perhaps for his personal life.

I don't think KD wants to embarrass the Thunder, but I think he knows that they are in the stage where they want to embarrass him (a defeat would do that), so he competes harder to make sure that doesn't happen. His teammates know that as well, so they back him up.

There's no real acrimony here, I believe. Just a bit of time to heal. KD isn't a bad guy and I believe he didn't do anything truly bad here, either. Some people might not like it (let's call them mostly fans of teams that want a better chance to win or fans that sympathize with being a victim more than being understanding of KD's desire to play on a great team), but I think things will get better as people get their own stuff going on and hopefully appreciate seeing a team that plays basketball beautifully.

On this forum, we are all die-hards presumably. I've said over and over and over that I think Durant is probably a great human being judging by what I've seen in the public eye and all that, and everything I say about him is in the scope of the basketball world we live in here on this board. He still donates to OKC charities and I assume he has probably taken on some charitable work in Oakland. Great on him. I don't hate him as a person in the slightest, in fact I admire him. I hate him as a basketball player though, and at the end of the day, on a basketball forum, that's mostly all you'll see. His basketball move to the Warriors was worthy of my basketball hatred for him. It's nothing personal.

[bondom34]

Wow.

Read on Twitter

I got mad when I saw him standing over Russell and I'm a Bulls fan! What bothered me too is the fact that his teammates didn't seem to jump in and stand up for him, maybe from their angle it seemed as if Zaza was just looking to see if he was okay? Not sure how the team operates since I don't watch them often but I was hoping they'd be in war mode considering the circumstances.

I think if Adams was there it would have happened a little differently. They should bring Perkins back for a 10 day next time they play GSW.

[nbafan38]

It was a hard foul sure. Not questioning it. Zaza didn't say he was trying to hurt russ. Westbrook flopped.

lol warriors fans will say anything to defend their team and players, Zaza basically said he didn't care if Westbrook got hurt, it's part of the game. Read his own quote.

Youre twisting zaza quote Lol. Do you want players to express their love and concern? Zaza knew Russ flopped that's why he said that.


But go head. Keep defending flopping.

How am I twisting his quote? He did say he didn't care if Westbrook got hurt, I never said he was intentionally trying to hurt Westbrook.

[nbafan38]

OKC REALLY wants to beat the Warriors. There's a lot there based on their intense head to head battles the last few seasons, Durant's departure, and of course just competitive spirit going against the best. So yeah, when you have a team that motivated to want to beat you, why not admit that you really want to beat them as well, in particular for the teammate who they are all gunning for?

OKC may REALLY want to beat the Warriors, but it's such a lopsided match-up and I think even they know that. I mean, OKC was getting consistently beat by the Warriors last year, even with Durant. 0-3 in the regular season, then lost in the playoffs. Durant didn't change which team wins in this match-up, he just jumped over to the winning side.

As an OKC fan and resident, it's actually easier watching him play against OKC than other teams. Watching him play against other teams just reminds me of how good he is and how good OKC would be with him. Watching him play against OKC reminds me of how even with Durant, OKC couldn't beat GS, so him leaving didn't change any outcome in that context. Yesterday felt like one the games from last year. Warriors kind of mess around for awhile until it's time to close and put the game away. It's just another OKC loss to GS, and even Kevin Durant wasn't able to change that.

I guess that's why it's weird to me. You're a top 3-5 player in the league playing on a team almost as good as the Warriors. You completely swing the balance by joining them, and now you take pleasure in beating down the team you left, who is now clearly inferior because you left? That's like joining in with the bullies in jumping another kid. It's almost sociopathic.

Yea I was thinking this too, it's so lopsided that it's not even really a rivalry, it just comes off as Green being a bully. I am actually concerned that once the Thunder realize they can't beat the warriors on the court they may try to take out one of GSW's stars just because of how angry they are, I hope it doesn't come to that though.

I sort of disagree with you though if Durant had stayed, yes the warriors beat up the Thunder in the regular season but I think OKC would have had a fighting chance of beating them in any playoff series. Green even sort of supposedly told Durant if he stayed in OKC they'd both win titles but they would win more together.

[nfmos]

There is nothing the Warriors can do right according to a bunch of people on this forum.

People call us soft, and then they commit a couple of (questionably) hard fouls and people on here on screaming in outrage about how dirty they are.

People say we sucked since we choked in the finals, we go out and get KD and people call it weak to add such a player to such a amazing team.

They say Curry is cocky because of his shimmying while players like WB and Harden can do it and everyone compliments how they have fun with the game.

Draymond cusses at players and he is a punk, WB does it over some 6 months of saltiness and he is "the man".

I understand people love to hate the favorite, but its so hard to sit back and look at the double standard these last few years. We havea pretty good group of guys that play an exciting brand of basketball, but i guess thats not enough for some people.

[Fico92]

There is nothing the Warriors can do right according to a bunch of people on this forum.

People call us soft, and then they commit a couple of (questionably) hard fouls and people on here on screaming in outrage about how dirty they are.

People say we sucked since we choked in the finals, we go out and get KD and people call it weak to add such a player to such a amazing team.

They say Curry is cocky because of his shimmying while players like WB and Harden can do it and everyone compliments how they have fun with the game.

Draymond cusses at players and he is a punk, WB does it over some 6 months of saltiness and he is "the man".

I understand people love to hate the favorite, but its so hard to sit back and look at the double standard these last few years. We havea pretty good group of guys that play an exciting brand of basketball, but i guess thats not enough for some people.

They should put a victim emoji on realgm...woulda saved you a lot of time there.

The Warriors are hated on for no reason for sure...can't be the sudden cockiness from a team and fanbase that has been irrelevant for decades that rubs people the wrong way.

[nfmos]

OKC REALLY wants to beat the Warriors. There's a lot there based on their intense head to head battles the last few seasons, Durant's departure, and of course just competitive spirit going against the best. So yeah, when you have a team that motivated to want to beat you, why not admit that you really want to beat them as well, in particular for the teammate who they are all gunning for?

OKC may REALLY want to beat the Warriors, but it's such a lopsided match-up and I think even they know that. I mean, OKC was getting consistently beat by the Warriors last year, even with Durant. 0-3 in the regular season, then lost in the playoffs. Durant didn't change which team wins in this match-up, he just jumped over to the winning side.

As an OKC fan and resident, it's actually easier watching him play against OKC than other teams. Watching him play against other teams just reminds me of how good he is and how good OKC would be with him. Watching him play against OKC reminds me of how even with Durant, OKC couldn't beat GS, so him leaving didn't change any outcome in that context. Yesterday felt like one the games from last year. Warriors kind of mess around for awhile until it's time to close and put the game away. It's just another OKC loss to GS, and even Kevin Durant wasn't able to change that.

I guess that's why it's weird to me. You're a top 3-5 player in the league playing on a team almost as good as the Warriors. You completely swing the balance by joining them, and now you take pleasure in beating down the team you left, who is now clearly inferior because you left? That's like joining in with the bullies in jumping another kid. It's almost sociopathic.

Yea I was thinking this too, it's so lopsided that it's not even really a rivalry, it just comes off as Green being a bully. I am actually concerned that once the Thunder realize they can't beat the warriors on the court they may try to take out one of GSW's stars just because of how angry they are, I hope it doesn't come to that though.

I sort of disagree with you though if Durant had stayed, yes the warriors beat up the Thunder in the regular season but I think OKC would have had a fighting chance of beating them in any playoff series. Green even sort of supposedly told Durant if he stayed in OKC they'd both win titles but they would win more together.

How is Green being a bully? Yeah KD chose to leave but the team has been talking crap since he left and cant seem to get over his personal and professional decision. He gave A LOT to that team and that community for years, and now all of a sudden he is painted as a villain for making a decision for himself? Teams can trade players like commodities, but players cant choose their own lives without backlash? Was WB really his friend, because friends usually are happy when their friends are happy, instead of just worrying how it affects them.

Green and his teammates arent being bullies for wanting to win for KD, they just see the saltiness and disrespect and want to make sure he doesn't lose since they know he will hear a lot of crap for it. Thats called having your teammates back.

[nfmos]

There is nothing the Warriors can do right according to a bunch of people on this forum.

People call us soft, and then they commit a couple of (questionably) hard fouls and people on here on screaming in outrage about how dirty they are.

People say we sucked since we choked in the finals, we go out and get KD and people call it weak to add such a player to such a amazing team.

They say Curry is cocky because of his shimmying while players like WB and Harden can do it and everyone compliments how they have fun with the game.

Draymond cusses at players and he is a punk, WB does it over some 6 months of saltiness and he is "the man".

I understand people love to hate the favorite, but its so hard to sit back and look at the double standard these last few years. We havea pretty good group of guys that play an exciting brand of basketball, but i guess thats not enough for some people.

They should put a victim emoji on realgm...woulda saved you a lot of time there.

The Warriors are hated on for no reason for sure...can't be the sudden cockiness from a team and fanbase that has been irrelevant for decades that rubs people the wrong way.

hahaha what an ass. You call it cockiness but we have had some of the most diehard fans for a long long time. I expected more from a Spurs fan, especially since Kerr and our organization respects and patterned itself after your team. I guess the class Pop has does not extend to all of Spurs fans.