Kevin Durant and Chris Paul fend off criticism from Russell Westbrook

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PHOENIX SUNS

UPDATED: APRIL 22, 2023 AT 7:37 PM

Russell Westbrook #0 of the LA Clippers reacts while waiting for play to start during a 112-100 loss to the Phoenix Suns in Game 4 of the Western Conference First Round Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena on April 22, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Some players polarize in the NBA. Either you love them or you hate them. No in-between.

Los Angeles Clippers guard Russell Westbrook is a prime example of one such player given his volatile style of play, despite being the NBA’s all-time triple-double leader with 198. .

He is also the second player in league history after Oscar Robertson to average a triple-double during the regular season.

But Westbrook has a few Suns in his corner in Kevin Durant and Chris Paul, who hailed the 2016-17 MVP after Phoenix’s 112-100 win over the Clippers in Game 4 on Saturday.

People are always going to criticize when you’re successful and doing your thing for that long, Durant told reporters. Someone is always going to find something they don’t like about you. But Russ has been resilient all his life. He comes to work, doesn’t say much and just comes to hoop.

When he retires, people are really going to come clean about how they feel about his game. A fun thing to do right now is prank Russ. The way he’s played since he joined the Clippers shows everyone who he really is.

Durant and Westbrook spent eight years together as members of the Oklahoma City Thunder from 2008 to 2016 before Durant left to join the Golden State Warriors.

Paul, who was traded from the Houston Rockets to OKC as part of a package for Westbrook in 2019, also defended his friend.

I feel like the only people doing that too are people who don’t know basketball and what it’s like to compete, Paul told reporters. Russ is one of my closest friends.

People who do that, talk like crazy, probably wish they were in that situation.

The trio all had phenomenal performances on Saturday as the Suns took a 3-1 lead in the first-round playoff series.

Westbrook had a game-high 37 points in his second straight 30-plus game on 17-for-29 shooting, including 3-for-6 from three-point range.

Meanwhile, Durant led Phoenix with 31 points in his first 30-point playoff game in a Suns uniform on 9-of-17 shooting, which featured a 3-for-4 from deep and a 10-of-11 clip at the free-line from throw. He also had 11 rebounds and 6 assists in 45 minutes played.

Paul did most of his damage in the fourth quarter, scoring 12 of his 19 points in the final 12 minutes, including this absurd baseline jump:

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