Kevin Durant thinks his drama with Russell Westbrook is fake. Oh boy.

Good morning. Let’s basketball.

Kevin Durant is approaching Saturday’s return to Oklahoma City fairly sober. In an interview with ESPN’s Marc Stein, Durant said he has been thinking about the game for a month, expects the arena to be “rowdy” and unfriendly, and is looking forward to seeing people he made connections with over the years.

But then he called his public and increasingly antagonistic relationship with Russell Westbrook “fake drama,” claiming it has been created and fueled by the media. (He gave an example of how the media goaded Westbrook into responding sharply to an innocuous Durant comment about selflessness.)

The drama may very well be fake to Durant. There is, however, no indication whatsoever that there’s anything fake or exaggerated about Westbrook’s bitter view of Durant. We have the cupcake thing, the “don’t say what’s up to that [EXPLETIVE]“ thing, the Zaza Pachulia thing. There is mounting evidence that Westbrook very much has real drama with the Warriors and Durant. Nothing KD can do will wish that away.

BKN 107, CHA 111
ORL 104, HOU 128
POR 114, DAL 113

Dirk Nowitzki and C.J. McCollum had a good old-fashioned duel at the end of Blazers-Mavericks. I take back every mean thing I said about the dismal race for the West No. 8 seed.

This week’s Flanns & Zillz reviews the season to date. It’s been weird, y’all!

Oh good! Phil Jackson tweeted a cryptic thing that, upon investigation, serves to poke at Carmelo Anthony.

Kevin Love’s outlet pass drove everyone wild on Monday night. He’s been throwing those for a long time.

LaMelo Ball, UCLA star/future NBA MVP Lonzo Ball’s little brother, dropped 92 points in a high school game. I would like to formally request adoption by the Ball family.

Matt Ellentuck on the Washington Mystics’ burgeoning WNBA superteam.

The wind blew Lance Stephenson up to Minnesota for a 10-day contract.

Triple-double jokes abound in Russell Westbrook’s new Foot Locker ad.

The Suns have options: build organically, or package prospects and picks for a star. Kevin O’Connor assess the paths forward for Phoenix.

Everyone’s favorite average-sized man Isaiah Thomas gets the Tim Layden treatment in Sports Illustrated.

Speaking of Isaiah, he is now texting buddies with Tom Brady. THIS IS WHAT YOU COULD HAVE HAD, DURANT.

Phenomenal: Warriors owner Joe Lacob had dinner with Michael Jordan and other owners during collective bargaining talks. He says MJ told him “73 wins don’t mean s—t” with the title.

1. Matthew Dellavedova has a signature shoe. 2. There is a “hustle” colorway.

I’m not a doctor but I am a recovering runner who is interested in biomechanics, and this passes my amateur smell test. This is an interesting look at Russell Westbrook’s running gait and how that has helped him improve after his ACL tear.

In appreciation of LeBron James losing his filter.

No one has ever responded to an injury better than Evan Turner did to his broken hand.

The Nets are the fourth team with a jersey sponsor, inking up a deal with Infor.
(“What’s an Infor?” the dad asked jokingly. “Sleeping!”)

From the great Scott Van Pelt: Quincy Acy is a real dude.