Kevin Durant opens up on individual matchup with Russell Westbrook: "He's just going to hack me whole time, he's been doing that s**t since we was 18"

Kevin Durant reserved high praise for former teammate Russell Westbrook. Durant and Westbrook went head-to-head during Sunday's marquee game between the Brooklyn Nets and LA Lakers. Westbrook and KD got the opportunity to go one-on-one on multiple possessions.

Both got crucial stops against each other during the contest. Westbrook, in particular, played an excellent role defensively for the Lakers while guarding his former OKC Thunder co-star.

Speaking to reporters after the game about their individual matchup and Russ settling into his new role, Durant said:

"He's just going to hack me the whole time, he's been doing that s**t since we was 18 and 19.

"But more than anything, to see the role Russ is playing right now, I mean he's just affecting the game in so many different ways. 12 assists tonight, four turnovers, 14 points like, he came in here and put his imprint on the game."

Durant added:

"It's always fun playing against him, regardless of what setting it is, it's always like that between us."

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook spent nine years together. They know each other's games very well.

The respect between the two has remained intact since going their separate ways. Durant lauded Westbrook for thriving in his new sixth-man role for the Lakers after a year-long struggle. Russ has improved defensively and given his team a dynamic edge off the bench.

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Russell Westbrook and LA Lakers overcome Kevin Durant's Brooklyn Nets

Russell Westbrook's LA Lakers produced a strong performance against Kevin Durant's Brooklyn Nets. The Lakers, who were on a five-game skid, beat the Nets 116-103. It was a surprising result for LA considering they were without their best player, LeBron James.

The Nets had the best net rating in the league across their last five games. However, the Lakers held them off thanks to Anthony Davis' monster outing. AD bagged 37 points and 18 rebounds, steering the ship in James' absence.

Meanwhile, Westbrook recorded his third double-double off the bench, tallying 14 points and 12 assists, while Lonnie Walker IV had 25 points on 9 of 15 shooting. On the other hand, Kevin Durant waged a lone battle for the Nets, bagging a team-high 31 points on 50% shooting. He also had nine rebounds, seven assists and two blocks.

He single-handedly made it a close game, cutting the Lakers' 16-point lead to three towards the end of the third quarter. However, Darvin Ham's men executed their plans perfectly down the stretch to seal a much-needed win.