The reigning MVP Kevin Durant of OKC Thunder was heard calling Dwight Howard a "p**sy" during the game on November 16 between the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder.
According to CBS Sports, Durant, who was staying on the bench and still recovering from a foot injury, had heated words against Rockets center Dwight Howard during an altercation between Rockets point guard Patrick Beverley and Scott Brooks, coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Anthony Slater of Oklahoman posted on Twitter about the incident, "Lotta chirping between Thunder and Rockets right now. Kevin Durant repeatedly to Dwight Howard: "You're a p**sy".
Deadspin.com reported that the Thunder and Houston had a terrible night on Sunday, with both teams shooting below 30 percent from the field. The Rockets emerged as the winners with a below-mediocre final score of 69-65. It was evident that both teams were disturbed by their poor performance, letting loose a number of hard fouls which, in effect, caused coach Brooks to confront Patrick Beverley.
In the same report by Dead Spin, as the altercation ensued, Durant took the opportunity to throw a few verbal jabs at Howard from his position on the sideline.
Although the MVP's comments were not as harsh compared to what Kobe said to Dwight during the Rockets' season opener game against the Los Angeles Lakers, it seems that a number of NBA stars actually think that the 6'11" center is soft. In a report by LakersNation.com, Kobe repeatedly called his former teammate "You're soft!" during their altercation, adding later that Dwight is a "teddy bear". Two seasons ago, Kevin Garnett also reportedly told Howard, "Paint your face clown!" Despite his size and strength, Howard has created a reputation for being a funnyman inside and outside the basketball court, which may affect the way his opponents treat him.
The other fact is that the game was bound to be criticized. It was the first NBA game in 11 years where neither team shot 30 percent from the field. The Houston Rockets shot 23-for-80 (28.8 percent) while the Thunder shot 20-for-68 (29.4 percent). Both teams hit only 10 out of 54 attempts from the 3-point line.
In a report by Sports Illustrated, the Rockets also had difficulty from the free throw line, shooting 16-for-30. In the third quarter, the Rockets only scored nine points. OKC, on the contrary, never reached 20 points in any quarter. The poor shooting on Sunday night was comparable to the 62-57 win by the Boston Celtics against the Milwaukee Hawks in 1955.
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