You had to figure this was coming.
Saturday night’s game between the Thunder and Warriors on ABC featured two top teams, three of the top five players in the NBA, a dude averaging a triple-double and one dominant storyline: Kevin Durant’s return to Oklahoma City.
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The game rated particularly well in the Oklahoma City market, drawing a 19.5 rating, tops there for an ESPN/ABC game since 2012.
Fans who watched Warriors-Thunder wound up getting pretty much what they wanted. Fan viciously booed Durant, who then jawed with frenemy-turned-enemy Russell Westbrook and beefed with Andre Roberson in the second half. Durant led the Warriors with 34 points, while Steph Curry and Klay Thompson did their thing as well. On the other side, Westbrook put on a show with 47 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists (also 11 turnovers). The game wasn’t close—Golden State won 130-116—but that was almost beside the point.
Now just imagine if we get this matchup again in the playoffs.