Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook ‘Choked’ In Game Six, Says Stephen A. Smith [Video]

While praising Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook as two of the five best players in the world, ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith accused the two Oklahoma City Thunder superstars of choking against the Golden Warriors in last night’s pivotal Game 6 of the NBA Western Conference finals.

Smith is also the co-host of First Take weekday mornings on the self-described Worldwide Leader In Sports network.

Playing on their home court at the Chesapeake Energy Arena, the Thunder entered the contest with a 3-2 game advantage and with a second chance (previously 3-1) to close out the defending NBA World Champions.

Warriors guard Klay Thompson had other ideas, scoring 41 clutch points, and setting a playoff record of 11-18 shooting beyond the three-point line. Backcourt mate Stephen Curry, the team’s superstar and league MVP, recorded 31 points, in the 108-101 win.

The Thunder held an eight-point lead with 12 minutes to go in the fourth quarter, but couldn’t hold on as the Warriors mounted their comeback, and wound up going scoreless in the last two-plus minutes.

Immediately after the game, excited Warriors owner Joe Lacob bowed down to Klay Thompson in this awkward if not embarrassing encounter.

Klay Thompson was so money from behind the arc in Game 6 that Warriors owner Joe Lacob did THIS:https://t.co/W1hzQyu5iO

— ESPN (@espn) May 29, 2016

With the series now tied 3-3, Game 7 will tip off tomorrow evening (Memorial Day night) at 9 p.m. Eastern from ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California, and will no doubt get a massive TV rating.

Stephen A. (whose detractors sometimes refer to him as “Screamin’ A.”) made it clear immediately after the game that he was less than enamored with the OKC performance.

“You have two guys in Steph Curry and Klay Thompson that, as shooters, are the best in the world…and they respond in big moments, and you have two superstars in Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook who literally hit the panic button and flat-out choked. There’s no other way to slice this. Kevin Durant was shooting ill-advised shots all night long…not to mention a couple of key turnovers down the stretch…in the case of Russell Westbrook, you turn over the ball three times in the last 55 seconds, that’s just inexcusable…Game 6 last night in Oklahoma City, over the last three minutes or so, they hit the panic button, poise went out the window…”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iENiD_VDYTM

Parenthetically, the word “literally” – when “figuratively” is intended – is a candidate for the most annoying words list.

Smith — whose often controversial opinions in and out of sports are often all over the map, as it were — added that OKC is “in a world of trouble” against Golden State in Game 7, with only a slim chance to prevail and then go into the finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, who won the NBA Eastern Conference.

Unlike the other major sports, the home court advantage is often decisive in the NBA regular season and in the playoffs, particularly in a Game 7, which is one reason why the Game 6 outcome was somewhat of a surprise.

If the Warriors win tomorrow night, some may wonder why the NBA bothers with a regular season at all in that the two finalists were seemingly preordained.

Last fall, Smith and Kevin Durant got into a feud when KD dismissed Smith’s “scoop” that the free agent to be was considering signing with the Los Angeles Lakers. Said Durant at the time, “I don’t talk to Stephen A Smith at all. Nobody in my family, my friends, they don’t talk to Stephen A Smith. So he’s lying.” The flamboyant Smith then warned Durant on First Take that it was a bad idea to have Stephen A. Smith as an enemy.

The Warriors beat OKC Thunder on the road to tie the series 3-3 and force a Game 7 in Golden State.#NBAPlayoffshttps://t.co/22WM6o06D1

— NBA India (@NBAIndia) May 29, 2016

Skip Bayless, Smith’s equally outspoken longtime First Take sparring partner/frenemy, will soon take off for Fox Sports 1, and ESPN is currently auditioning replacements.

Do you agree with Stephen A. Smith that Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook choked? How would you rate Oklahoma City’s chances against the Golden State Warriors in Game 7?

[Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP]