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. Cleveland Indians Shirts .Y. - Nelson Mandela will be honoured by the New York Yankees with a plaque in Monument Park. Cheap Indians Jerseys . 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NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. -- John Daly birdied the final five holes Friday in the Toshiba Classic, leaving him three strokes behind fellow senior newcomer Billy Mayfair and 62-year-old Jay Haas.Making his 14th PGA Tour Champions start since turning 50 in April, the long-hitting Daly finished with a 4-under 67 at Newport Beach Country Club after playing the front nine in even par and dropping a stroke on 13.This course, you short-side yourself you can make some big numbers, but its a golf course that if I keep hitting the driver straight, you can score, Daly said. A lot of wedges into a lot of the holes.The two-time major champion has three top-20 finishes on the senior tour, the best a tie for 11th in July in New York at the Dicks Sporting Goods Open.Ive been hitting it pretty good and just the two weeks off did me some good, Daly said. My shoulders still not good, but Im able to hit full shots. Im struggling with three-quarter shots, which might not make sense, but every time I try to pinch one, it hurts like heck. But the full shots are OK and luckily thats what I had coming down the stretch today.Haas made an 18-foot birdie putt on 18 to match Mayfair at 64.Ive always played this course well, said Haas, the 2007 winner. I lost the next year in a playoff to Bernhard (Langer), and then the next two years, probably playing as good as I could play in my Champions Tour career. ... Ive had some good success here and I just like the golf course. It seems to set up nicely for me and looks good to my eye.Mayfair eagled the par-5 third and had six birdies -- four on the last fiive holes -- and one bogey.dddddddddddd Hes making his sixth start on the tour after turning 50 in August.Youve got to get out on Friday and get off to a good start, said Mayfair, a five-time winner on the PGA Tour. Youre going to have to shoot this every day to have a chance to win.In his Champions debut, he tied for second behind Gene Sauers in the U.S. Senior Open.I really want to come out here and have fun and enjoy myself but be very competitive, Mayfair said.Larry Mize, Paul Goydos and Michael Allen shot 65. Mize played the back-nine in 5-under 31.Ive been trying too hard, Mize said. I tried to just relax and have fun. As crazy as it sounds, care a little less and just go out there and dont let anything bother you and just have a good time.Goydos birdied four of the first five holes.The golf course is there to be had, but if you hit in the wrong place here, youre going to make bogeys, Goydos said. Today, I probably should have made three bogeys and I made none.Ross Cochran shot 66, and defending champion Duffy Waldorf was at 67 along with Daly, Mark Calcavecchia, Ian Woosnam, Joey Sindelar, Mark Brooks, Jay Don Blake, John Cook, Fred Funk, Billy Andrade, Jerry Smith, Doug Garwood and brothers Bart and Brad Bryant.Colin Montgomerie had a 68. Hes coming off a victory two weeks ago in British Columbia.Langer, the tour leader with four victories, is taking the week off. He also tops the money list and Charles Schwab Cup points standings. ' ' '
