USA - A Thunder-ous reception for Indiana

OKLAHOMA CITY (NBA) - There are going to be many high and lows for players in the days and months leading up to the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain.

What is true is that battles waged several months from now in leagues all over the globe are going to be a lot more important than the skirmishes in December.

In the NBA, the players understand that it's not how a team starts that's important, but how it finishes.

The stars on the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder will know that, which is why the results of the games that each team played in over the weekend will quickly be forgotten.

The players and coaches will look forward, not back.

Paul George of the Pacers, a forward who looks to be a near certainty to be in the USA squad at next year's World Cup, experienced both good and bad the past couple of days.

After celebrating Indiana's first win at San Antonio in more than a decade on Saturday, a 111-100 triumph in which he scored 27 points, George and the Pacers travelled to Oklahoma City and crashed hard to the Kevin Durant-led Oklahoma City Thunder.

Durant, who like George is going to be in the running for the league's Most Valuable Award, and fellow USA international Russell Westbrook, dominated in a 118-94 rout.

Despite taking on an Indiana side with a league-best 18 wins in its first 20 games, the Thunder made it a one-sided affair from the off.

Durant, the MVP of the 2010 FIBA World Championship, had 14 of the Thunder's first 18 points and finished with a game-high 36 while Westbrook scored 26 and handed out 13 assists as the Thunder (15-4) brought the Pacers back down to earth at the Chesapeake Energy Center.

Was it hard for the Pacers to follow up a tough game in Texas with another in Oklahoma?

"I wouldn't say we had tired legs," George said, "but the Thunder definitely knew what we were up against.

"They knew this was a back-to-back night for us. They came out with that urgency to really run us, and see if we could compete and match their energy."

Durant and Westbrook are not the sort of players an opponent wants to face during a quick turnaround.

The Thunder also have other weapons, like Spain international big man Serge Ibaka and Steven Adams, a rookie center who could find his way into New Zealand's national team next summer.

Indiana will take the loss in their stride.

"Tonight, obviously, for our guys, Oklahoma City was just a step quicker on both ends of the court," Indiana coach Frank Vogel said.

The big challenges seem to bring the best out in Durant and Westbrook.

The Pacers, sporting the best record, were supposed to be tough opponents.

"Playing one of the best teams in the league, you've always got to bring it a little bit more, I guess, and tonight I think we all did that," Durant said.

The Thunder also have some unfinished business.

Westbrook hurt his knee in last season's playoffs against the Houston Rockets and the injury ended his campaign.

Oklahoma City weren't the same without their point guard.

Now that he's back, the Thunder are looking very good again.

"I think we know that we can play with the best of them," Westbrook said. "I think tonight we did a good job of just playing our game."

Come next summer at the World Cup, don't be surprised if Durant, Westbrook and George have gone from adversaries to USA teammates.

That is going to be a lot of fun to watch.

FIBA