KD's Return Made For Some Heated Moments At The Peake

By A. Suave Francisco

In the midst of the holiday in Oklahoma City that was Kevin Durant's return, there was a significant but expected emotional atmosphere throughout the entire city, for the entire day. Although the Warriors held a controlling lead throughout three-fourths of the game, you wouldn't have known it based on the crowd. The relentless booing of Durant went for the entire 48 minutes and just as scripted, there was some player drama. 

The cupcake chants, outfits, and body-paint could be found throughout the entire Chesapeake Energy Arena and eventually, it boiled over onto the court. There weren't many intense, heated battles during the game until the third quarter, right before a timeout when Russell and Kevin shared pleasantries while walking to their respective benches. You could find Russell saying "I'm coming, I'm coming," towards Durant and that's exactly what he was doing after scoring 5-straight points which led to that timeout. 

Secondly, Kevin and Andre Roberson went at it after a foul and goaltending call on Roberson. That led to another jawing match, that appeared to have the potential of getting physical. It also involved players from both teams but resulted in a technical foul call on Durant, Andre Iguodala of Golden State and Roberson for the Thunder. 

The altercation between Kevin and Roberson stemmed from trash talking that Durant described as "a part of the game," and that it didn't mean anything out of the ordinary. Roberson felt a bit differently about it, though. 

The emotion boiled over in this game which included the fans, players and frankly, the media. There were a record number of credentials handed out today because everyone wanted to see the return of a Thunder pioneer and the battle between two of the league's best. Although Westbrook, Durant, and now Roberson probably won't be on speaking terms any time soon, this game provided Thunder fans closure on a topic and the ability to let out all the anger accumulated over the past seven months. 

Now that this frenzy has finally ended, the Thunder can get back to their regular scheduled events, starting with the (32-21) Washington Wizards on Monday on the road. Two teams that are considered to be evenly matched. Wednesday, the Thunder will play the dysfunctional, yet legendary franchise, New York Knicks that has dominated headlines over the past week. They'll be back at the Peake in a more mild-mannered atmosphere.