m everywhere. It came for months. A matchup -- and rematch -- circled from the moment he joined the Golden State Warriors way back in July. KDs big decision that left a fan base and

OAKLAND, Calif. -- A towel over his head in the waning moments and Kevin Durants spectacular, statement-making night in the books at last, he could finally breathe and briefly forget the constant chatter about his departure from Oklahoma City.It came from everywhere. It came for months. A matchup -- and rematch -- circled from the moment he joined the Golden State Warriors way back in July. KDs big decision that left a fan base and a franchise feeling scorned.Durant got the last word in the first reunion against Russell Westbrook and his old Thunder teammates, going off for 39 points and matching his career high with seven 3-pointers in Golden States 122-96 dismantling of previously unbeaten OKC on Thursday night in a rematch of the thrilling seven-game Western Conference Finals .I dont want to say any part was strange. Ive moved on, Durant said. Im part of the Golden State Warriors. Im excited to be part of this team. What I did those last eight years was special and something Im never going to forget, but Im trying to look forward. I just try to separate those emotions and feelings and also try to do my job.That meant no greetings at tipoff or pregame pleasantries needed between KD and old pal Russ.Nah. Theres no love lost between these superstars who went their separate ways after their summer ended empty-handed -- having squandered a 3-1 lead in the West Finals to Durants new team.When I go on the court, I dont talk to anybody but my teammates, Westbrook said afterward. He had reason to be a little grumpy: His rough 20-point outing on 4-for-15 shooting dropped him from the NBAs leading scorer, with a 38.7 average coming into the night, to second at 34.2.Westbrook showed up at Oracle Arena donning a bright orange Official Photographer vest, and left wearing it, too. It was quickly pointed out that photography is one of Durants off-the-court passions.Theres no particular reason, theres no story behind it, its just because I wanted to wear it, Westbrook said. I dont wear anything for nobody. I wear what I want to wear, when I want to wear it.That vest came all the way from Madrid.With the hype surrounding a testy reunion, this rivalry might be here for the long haul.Subplots like this dont just go away, Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.How could it?Durant left OKC for the Bay Area and a chance to play alongside two-time reigning MVP Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, while Westbrook stayed put as the Thunders night-in, night-out star.The decision he made was in July, so weve all here had to move past it, Thunder coach Billy Donovan said.It didnt take Durant long to get going, and when he did he was unstoppable. He finished 15 of 24 from the field, including 7 of 11 from behind the arc.He came out confident so that first shot went in and it was off to the races from there, Curry said. It was definitely fun. We knew how much it meant for him to just get out there and play with all the noise around the game.Durant knocked down a 28-foot 3-pointer on Golden States initial possession, back-to-back jumpers late in the first before a reverse lay-in and three-point play in which he breezed by Jerami Grant and let some words fly. Grant had dunked on him earlier , after all.When you get dunked on like that, as a competitor out there you want to come back and try to make a play and try to ignite your team, Durant said. He ignited his team with that dunk. I was just trying to do the same throughout the whole game.Durant hit Golden States final four field goals of the first quarter with a late 3 as the Warriors got within 32-31. He finished with his third 30-point performance and the Warriors fourth straight victory since they lost 129-100 to the Spurs in KDs debut Oct. 25.Even Kerr was about as fired up as he gets on the bench, hit with a technical in the first when a foul wasnt called on a Curry 3-point attempt -- he got mauled, Kerr said afterward. Assistant coach Mike Brown had to hold him back.Little needed to be said to Durant on this night.We knew that was a huge game for him. He wanted to win that game and if you dont want to win that game, Im questioning what kind of competitor you are, Green said. We wanted to rally around him and make sure we got that done. Air Max Plus For Sale Cheap . But the quarterback hopes to stay involved in football after officially calling it quits Tuesday. "Id love to look at those opportunities as they arise," Pierce said in an interview from his Winnipeg eatery. Cheap Nike Air Max Plus .Y. -- Syracuse has turned up the defence at the right time all season, and when High Point threatened to pull off a monumental upset the second-ranked Orange did what they do best with their quick hands and savvy play. http://www.cheapnikeairmaxplus.com/ .C. Lions has come to an end. Banks told TSN on Jan 2 that he had no interest in playing out the option year of his contract with the Lions in 2014, and he again made that clear in a conversation with Lions GM Wally Buono last week. Nike Air Max Plus Sale . Its 1987 and a Brazilian playmaker, known as Mirandinha, is being paraded around St James Park to the passionate Newcastle fans. Nike Air Max Plus Outlet . The Lightning are 2-0 so far on a four-game road trip, giving the club five straight wins as the guest and improving Tampas away record this season to 11-8-2. PORTLAND, Ore. -- Portlands NBA-record streak of home-opening wins provided the inspiration against the Utah Jazz.The Trail Blazers rallied in the fourth quarter for a 113-104 victory on Tuesday night, extending their record to 16 straight wins in home openers.With a streak that long, longest in the NBA, we wanted to keep it going, said Damian Lillard, who had 39 points. I was proud that we were able to do that tonight.CJ McCollum added 25 points for the Blazers, who trailed 83-77 at the start of the fourth quarter. They were still down 102-99 with under 5 minutes left before McCollum made a pull-up jumper and 3-pointer to give Portland a 104-102 lead.Lillard made a pair of free throws before nailing a 3-pointer that put Portland up 109-102 with 1:02 left and the Jazz couldnt catch up.I wasnt surprised. Were you surprised? McCollum said about Lillards 3. I saw the look in his eyes and I knew what time it was.Joe Johnson scored 29 points in his debut with the Jazz and Rodney Hood added 26, including a rim-rattling dunk in the third quarter.The Jazz were without several key players. Gordon Hayward is out with a broken finger on his left hand, while Derrick Favors played in just one preseason game because of a sore knee. Alec Burks continues to rehab from arthroscopic surgery to his knee and ankle.Where were at now, everybody just needs to come together and do whats needed, Jazz coach Quin Snyder said before the game.Johnson signed a two-year deal with the team in the offseason. Boris Diaw, acquired in a trade with San Antonio, also started in his Jazz debut.I want to do what I can to help this team win, Johnson said. This loss hurts, because we were in a position to win, on the road, against a tough team. This was a tough loss but there are positives in this. We have got to grind and get better.Noah Vonleh gave the Blazers a spark off the bench and his 3-pointer put them ahead 34-28. Portland stretched the lead to as many as 13 points in the first half, paced by Lillard with 16 points.ddddddddddddohnsons short jumper tied the game at 68 midway through the third quarter. Hood hit consecutive jumpers to give the Jazz a 77-71 lead. Hood would go on to split a pair of defenders with his dunk and Utah outscored the Blazers 37-23 in the quarter.Johnson scored 27 of his points in the second half.Allen Crabbes 3-pointer tied the game at 85, but the Blazers couldnt take the lead until Lillards 3 made it 97-96 with 5:50 left. Johnson answered with a 3-pointer on the other end to put the Jazz back in front.There were moments tonight where they had the momentum but I could hear the crowd just itching to get involved, just getting loud and cheering, and thats what we needed, Lillard said. We needed that to pick us up.TIP-INSJazz: Hayward and Favors accounted for an average of 36 points per game for the Jazz last season. ... Trey Lyles hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of the first half to narrow the Blazers lead to 54-46. ... Rudy Gobert finished with 12 points and 14 rebounds.Trail Blazers: Portland returns 11 players, and boasts the most returning minutes of any team in the league. The learning curve is easier for those guys, coach Terry Stotts said. ... The Blazers linked arms in unity during the national anthem. ... With his first assist of the night, Lillard passed Jim Paxson for sixth on the franchise career list (2,008).FOR THE RECORD: The previous steak for home-opening wins was 14, set by Boston from 1979-92.UNUSUAL STAT: Neither team missed a free throw in the game. The Blazers went 22 for 22 and the Jazz went 16 for 16.UP NEXTJazz: They host the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday. Utah was 24-17 at home last season.Trail Blazers: Portland hosts the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday. The Blazers ousted the Clippers in the first round of the playoffs last season. 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