Three years ago, a headline like this wouldn't have existed. Heck, people probably wouldn't even care what these two teams would have been up to. But now, these two squads are one of the most exciting to watch in the NBA, and they displayed it tonight.
Russell Westbrook went off for 45 points and six assists, while Kevin Durant contributed 40 along with 17 rebounds as the Oklahoma City Thunder escaped Kevin Love and Minnesota Timberwolves, 149-140, in a double-overtime thriller.
Love went off for 51 points as he went head-to-head with his former UCLA teammate in Westbrook. Love also had a career-high seven three-pointers in the high-scoring match-up.
Love displayed his shooting-stroke from behind-the-arc which helped beat Durant in the Three-Point Competition back during All-Star Weekend. However, the 51 points weren't enough for Minnesota to rally towards victory.
Both teams were neck-and-neck throughout the game. Durant hit an amazing three with a few seconds left on the clock, and it looked like a sure victory for Oklahoma City behind the young foward's heroics. But a game isn't over when you have Love, who knocked down the game-tying three to send the game into overtime.
Both teams were neck-and-neck again in the next quarter, ending it with a 129-all score, with Durant heaving the ball across halfcourt, only to just hit the glass. However, they were able to pull away in the end. What really got the T-Wolves was fatigue. They missed a lot of shots in the second-overtime that usually wouldn't have missed had it been the first half.
Fatigue shut down Minny from winning, as they now drop to 23-26.
"It doesn't matter. We lost," Love said, replying to his performance that wasn't enough for the team's victory. "We needed this game, especially the last game of our road trip against a very good team. This could have definitely been a driving force for us in these last 17, 18 games."
As for OKC, they continue to roll and are now 36-12.
Loud City is now booming even more now, folks.
Josh has been writing since January 2009 and has founded the websites FootBasket, Hardcourt Mayhem, and Gridiron Mayhem. For a full bio, check out JoshDhani.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshDhani
