NEW ORLEANS — Midway through the first quarter Sunday night, as Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook returned to the bench during a timeout, their Western-Conference teammates mobbed them in a jubilant huddle.
DeAndre Jordan and DeMarcus Cousins clapped, Stephen Curry tossed his water, and Durant and Westbrook chuckled. In that moment, the two All-Stars put aside their much-discussed silent feud. They were teammates again.
That mini-celebration of a Durant-to-Westbrook alley-oop stood as the lasting image of the West’s 192-182 win over the East in the NBA All-Star Game.