Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant and Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook were one of the NBA’s most exciting duos during their time as teammates with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Despite never winning a championship, Durant and Westbrook reached the NBA Finals in 2012 and were one game away from returning in 2016.

As opponents in the NBA Christmas duel between the Nuggets and Suns on Wednesday night, both Westbrook and Durant put in solid performances. With 17 points off the bench, Westbrook was the only Nuggets player with a positive plus/minus. Durant scored 27 points and provided six assists in the winning goal.

This NBA Christmas game came after a classic showdown between the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers. This was another epic duel between LeBron James and Steph Curry, but when asked about the greatness of himself and these two stars, Durant made sure to mention his former teammate after the game.

Durant said Christmas won’t just star him, James and Curry, saying, “It’s not just the three of us. You’ll see Jokic tonight. You see a Hall of Famer, an icon in Russell out here tonight… It was amazing. Basketball day, I’m grateful I got to play.

Durant and Westbrook have had some great battles since their time as teammates, and there will always be a mutual respect between the two NBA legends.

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