NBA scores 2017: Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook clash in return to Oklahoma City

When Kevin Durant first took the court for pregame warmups on Saturday night, Oklahoma City fans peppered him with boos and jeers. After all, the former league MVP ditched the Thunder for the Golden State Warriors — the same team that eliminated Oklahoma City in the playoffs — during a free-agency fiasco that left a sour taste on those he left.

But while Durant used every opportunity to downplay the potential beef he and Russell Westbrook had after his decision, a series of events during Golden State’s 130-114 win over the Thunder proved there’s still bad blood between the two sides.

Late in the second quarter, Westbrook shoved Durant, who was standing idly near mid-court:

The Durant-Westbrook beef reached full force when the two engaged in a shouting match while retreating to their respective benches during a timeout midway through the third quarter:

Finally, things boiled over when Andre Roberson fouled Durant on a layup attempt — a foul the former league MVP took exception to. Roberson and Durant exchanged words before butting heads and jawing with one another. The two had to be separated:

In the end, Durant had the last laugh. He finished with a team-high 34 points on 12-for-21 shooting, hitting timely shot after timely shot to keep Oklahoma City down by at least 12 points for the entire second half.

The Warriors’ leading scorer hit a deep triple late in the fourth quarter that acted as the dagger, not just for the game, but for the Thunder’s hopes of redemption at its ex-superstar’s decision to jet the franchise over the summer.

The Warriors are 3-0 against the Thunder so far this season, each win by at least 16 points. And Durant’s MVP-caliber play is one of the many reasons why Golden State is on pace to repeat as Western Conference champions this season.

Giannis Antetokounmpo got his nickname “The Greek Freak” for a reason — he can do things most other players can’t. And Antetokounmpo showed that incredible athleticism on Saturday when he jetted up court for a Space Jam-like dunk from near the foul line on a fast break:

Westbrook’s all-out offensive effort fell flat as the Thunder lost, 130-114, to Golden State on Saturday. It’s clear Oklahoma City will need to get its star point guard some help if it wants to compete with the West’s premier teams.

Griffin had an all-around effort to propel the Clippers to a win and stave off a surging Hornets team late in the game.

Harden pulled an unlimited number of tricks out of the bag to bludgeon the Suns, 133-102.

The King may not have gotten the playmaker he’s clamored for just yet, but efforts like his game against Denver are what Cleveland needs to repeat as Eastern Conference champions.

Durant earned the MVP for Saturday night, drilling shot after shot in his return to Oklahoma City. The Warriors are now 3-0 against the Thunder this season, each win in devastating fashion, thanks to their All-Star forward’s unmatched offensive output.

Clippers 107, Hornets 102 [Clips Nation recap | At the Hive recap]

Bucks 116, Pacers 100 [Brew Hoop recap | Indy Cornrows recap]

Cavaliers 125, Nuggets 109 [Fear the Sword recap | Denver Stiffs recap]

76ers 117, Heat 109 [Liberty Ballers recap | Hot Hot Hoops recap]

Warriors 130, Thunder 114 [Golden State of Mind recap | Welcome to Loud City recap]

Rockets 133, Suns 102 [The Dream Shake recap | Bright Side of the Sun recap]

Mavericks 112, Magic 80 [Mavs Moneyball recap | Orlando Pinstriped Post recap]

Celtics 112, Jazz 104 [Celtics Blog recap | SLC Dunk recap]