Stop worrying about Kevin Durant's future and just enjoy <i>this</i> season
Kevin Durant arrived in D.C. and the questions about his future were there before he could grab his luggage.
Has Durant thought about playing for his hometown team? Will he leave Oklahoma City when his contract expires after next season.
What's going to happen? When's it going to happen?
Durant did his best to answer, did a better job of pacifying the Oklahoma City fans and was, by all accounts, neutral and diplomatic when talking about the pride he had playing for Oklahoma City and how he was concentrating on playing his best right here and right now.
Get used to it. There's going to be a lot of speculation for the next season and a half about what will happen in Durant's Tomorrowland.
Who cares? Worry about that later. Because for now, the present looks pretty amazing. We should probably just embrace it for a bit.
A long season, one with injuries and close losses and locker room angst and rumor had a part in the Thunder's 3-12 start as well as some of the reason OKC was sluggish even after Durant and Westbrook returned from missing multiple games.
But in the past week things have changed. Don't miss out on some enjoyment because you're thinking two seasons ahead.
Wednesday in Washington, Durant and Russell Westbrook both scored more than 30 points and Westbrook's half-court race to the basket layup with 0.8 seconds left was the game winner. OKC won its third in a row on the road and their fourth in a row overall, 105-103 in overtime.
So much attention on Durant, first off the court as Wednesday in Washington had a "Beginning of the End" feel. There were banners and signs from the local fans talking up Durant in D.C. There was even a fan behind the Thunder bench wearing a Washington Wizards jersey with Durant's name and number on it. Constant television chatter addressed the issue, still more than a season in the future.
And on the court? Even more attention. Durant was the go-to player at the end of regulation and couldn't make the winning 3-pointer and he was the go-to player at the end of overtime as well. He had the ball but was fouled by Paul Pierce near the half-court line with just less than 3 seconds to play, forcing the Thunder to have to inbound the ball again.
You know what happened. What happened should be a celebration of now. Too much around Oklahoma City's history is dripping in mystery. Will Durant stick with the Thunder, will Westbrook if Durant leaves? Will this team even make the playoffs this season and will Scott Brooks keep his job?
And playing in Washington certainly encourages that behavior. You saw the fans. You heard the announcers. You saw the signs and the the shirts.
But too much worry means missing out on what is now the best basketball of the season. The Thunder have Durant and Westbrook back in the lineup and healthy. Durant had 34 points, an array of astonishing 3-pointers and violent dunks. Westbrook had the game-winner, 32 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Steven Adams had 20 rebounds in his 39-minute wrestling match with Marcin Gortat and Nene.
The Thunder improved to 22-20, two games over .500 for the first time this season and closing in on the playoffs. They have wins over the Western Conference's top team Golden State and the East's 29-14 Wizards in the past week.
It'd be a shame not to take it all in because you're worried about what Durant might do in 2016.
Follow Andrew Gilman on Twitter: @andrewgilmanOK
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