A closer look at the Thunder’s history against the Sacramento Kings

By Anthony Slater – Aslater@opubco.com - @anthonyVslater

The bitter basketball war between Oklahoma City and Seattle has an added component. The Sacramento Kings have become franchise number three in this complicated NBA love triangle.

From now until hoops eternity, if the solidified sale to Seattle comes true, these three will be forever intertwined. There’s no way around it.

So tonight’s game between the Thunder and Kings has become somewhat special. It’s likely the last time Kevin Durant and his crew stroll into Sacramento’s Arco Arena (or whatever they’re calling it now, I’ll always remember it as Arco). That is, unless the sale falls through or the two meet in this year’s playoffs. Both very unlikely. The Kings, at a struggling 16-27, are spiraling downward and the Maloof Brothers seem far out the door.

So instead of looking ahead at what should develop as one of the NBA’s most intriguing rivalries (OKC and Seattle), let’s take a quick look back at what has been a one-sided matchup between two franchises with little in common except this sudden connection to the Emerald City.

Thunder v Kings

First matchup - The Kings outlasted Oklahoma City in a wild overtime affair, winning 122-118 on February 1, 2009. And how about this for a twist? The star of the game was Kevin Martin, OKC’s current six man who was torching the net for Sacramento at the time. He had a game-high 37 points on 11/24 shooting. For OKC, the trio of Kevin Durant (33), Jeff Green (28) and rookie guard Russell Westbrook (34) combined for 95 points.