Russell Westbrook - 'No beef' with former teammate Kevin Durant

PLAYA VISTA, Calif. — As Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant prepare to face each other in a playoff series for the first time, Westbrook says there is no animosity between him and his former Oklahoma City teammate.

Westbrook and Durant will be reunited on the floor when the LA Clippers face the Phoenix Suns in the first round on Sunday.

«It will be normal for me,» Westbrook said about what it will be like to face his former Thunder teammate. «I think people still think like there's some beef or something. There's no beef of any [kind], so I think that's the good narrative for media for people to talk about.

»But there's no beef. I got nothing but respect for him and things he's done with his career and having to see him back from injury. There's no beef at all. But he knows I'm going to compete and I know he's going to compete and that's all it is."

Westbrook and Durant were teammates for eight seasons, leading the Thunder to the NBA Finals in 2012 before Durant left to sign with Golden State in 2016-17. From 2008-09 to 2015-16, Westbrook assisted to Durant 1,465 times, by far the most of any combination during that span, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. No other duo was even at 1,000+ over those seasons.

Westbrook and Durant have faced each other 11 times since their split with Westbrook's teams going 6-5 against Durant's teams in regular-season meetings.

Durant has averaged 32 points while Westbrook averages 28.3 points, 10.1 rebounds and 9.5 assists in those matchups.

The Clippers can use that kind of production from Westbrook. While Paul George was on the court getting shots up before practice on Wednesday, the Clippers' All-Star remains sidelined and the team gave no timeline for return in their last