Oklahoma City Thunder

The NBA announced Tuesday that Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook has been fined $25,000 for "directing profanity and threatening language to a fan" after a confrontation between Westbrook and a pair of Utah Jazz fans Monday evening. 

The fan in the incident, Shane Keisel, was issued a lifetime ban by the Jazz after Westbrook said Keisel told him to "get down on your knees like you're used to," which Westbrook interpreted as racially charged remarks, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com.

After Keisel and his wife made those remarks during the game, Westbrook responded angrily, per MacMahon's report:

"'I'm going to tell you one thing: I'll f--- him up if he says that s--- again. I promise you,' Westbrook said to a security guard behind the bench at the beginning of the video posted to Twitter. Westbrook then looks toward Keisel. 'I promise you. You think I'm playing. I swear to God, I swear to God, I'll f--- you up. You and your wife, I'll f--- you up.

"'I promise you, on everything I love. On everything I love, n----, I promise you.'"

Keisel said he didn't say anything derogatory to prompt Westbrook's reaction, though Oklahoma City guard Raymond Felton disputed that account.

"That's just not right for Russ to have to deal with that when they said something to him first and they said something totally disrespectful," he said. "I heard it. I'm standing right there. I heard it. That's not right. That's all I'm saying. That's not right."

Utah players also defended Westbrook. Thabo Sefolosha spoke out on his behalf on Instagram, while Donovan Mitchell took to Twitter to decry the actions of Keisel:

Nonetheless, Westbrook's threats toward Keisel prompted the league office to issue him a fine. But the incident brought to the forefront once again the treatment of players by fans and the lines that are often crossed when fans choose to heckle athletes, an issue exacerbated in the NBA since the fans sit even closer to the action than in other sports.

Utah Jazz fan Shane Keisel said Tuesday he's planning to file a lawsuit against Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Russell Westbrook following a verbal altercation during Monday night's game at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City.

Keisel told Felicia Martinez of KSL TV he's been advised to shut down his social media accounts ahead of potential legal action and denied there was any racist language directed toward Westbrook. He also said his family has received death threats since the altercation. 

"I don't care. He can threaten me all he wants," he said. "I was the one talking to him ... but don't threaten a woman. She's 5 feet tall and 110 pounds, man. Never said a word to him."

Eric Woodyard of the Deseret News provided video of Westbrook making a threat in the direction of Keisel and his wife, but other comments from the exchange aren't audible (some language NSFW):

Afterward, Westbrook said Keisel told him to "get down on your knees like you're used to," which he considered "racial" and "inappropriate," and told reporters that's what led to his response during the game:

"And if I had to do it again, I would say the same exact thing, because I truly will stand up for myself, for my family, for my kids, for my wife, for my mom, for my dad every single time. I expect anybody else to do the same. So that's kind of where I'm at with the whole situation. As for beating up his wife, I have never put my hand on a woman; I never will. Never been in any domestic violence before. Never have before, but once he said the comment, his wife repeated the same thing to me as well. So that's kind of how that started. I know you guys only got the tail end of the video, but the start of the video is way more important and way more disrespectful than what you guys heard."

Keisel told Martinez he said "sit down and ice your knees, bro" and none of his comments toward Westbrook were race-based.

The Jazz announced the fan was permanently banned from the arena following an investigation:

National Basketball Players Association executive director Michele Roberts provided a comment about the situation to The Undefeated's Marc J. Spears:

The NBA has yet to announce whether Westbrook will face punishment.

Oklahoma City Thunder star Russell Westbrook took exception to something said to him by a Utah Jazz fan during Monday's game.

The Deseret News' Eric Woodyard shared a video in which Westbrook can be heard saying, "I'll f--k you up. You and your wife. I'll f--k you up." (warning: post contains profanity):

Westbrook commented on the altercation after the game, via Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune: "The realization of it is, how it started was, a young man and his wife in the stands told me 'to get down on my knees like you used to.' To me, that's just completely disrespectful, to me, I think it's racial, and I think it's inappropriate."

Thunder forward Patrick Patterson supported his teammate on Twitter (warning: post contains profanity):

The fan, Shane Keisel, shared his side of the story, via Jeremiah Jensen of KSL TV:

The Jazz released a statement regarding the incident, via Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com:

"We are continuing to investigate the unfortunate exchange at tonight's game between Russell Westbrook and fans. Multiple warning cards were issued by arena security. Players and fans have a shared responsibility to create a safe and respectful environment. If it is determined that any fans violated the NBA Code of Conduct, appropriate action will be taken."

According to Woodyard, five fans at Vivint Smart Home Arena received a formal warning that their "comments, gestures and/or behaviors directed at players were in violation of the NBA Fan Code of Conduct." The fans subsequently returned to their seats.

Westbrook has had issues with Jazz fans before.

As he was walking off the court following Oklahoma City's Game 6 loss to Utah in the first round of the playoffs last April, he swiped in the direction of a fan.

"I don't confront fans, fans confront me," he told reporters. "Here in Utah, man, a lot of disrespectful, vulgar things are said to the players here with these fans. It's truly disrespectful. (They) talk about your families, your kids. It's just a disrespect to the game and I think it's something that needs to be brought up."

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Paul George is the latest voice in what has been a chorus of criticism directed at NBA referees this season.

George was hit with a $25,000 fine for his public criticism of officials following the Thunder's loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night, per Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times. The 28-year-old All-Star was frustrated because he fouled out of the game.

In a video from Ben Golliver of the Washington Post, George is seen saying, "It's just bad officiating. We haven't got a fair whistle all year. ... Somebody gotta look into this. It's getting out of hand." Watch George's full response below (warning: NSFW language):

George's sixth foul came 3:49 remaining in the game. The Thunder were only trailing 100-99 and had possession. George bumped Clippers point guard Patrick Beverley off the ball, and the whistle blew. Beverley celebrated forcing George out of the game as if the Clippers had just won the game.

Beverley took to Twitter on Saturday to disparage George placing blame on the refs: "Men lie, numbers don't. He tried to blame the refs. Naw bra bra!!!" Not surprisingly, George didn't take kindly to Beverley's opinion:

Along with George, point guard Russell Westbrook and center Steven Adams fouled out for the Thunder.

George included a defense of Westbrook in his rant, saying, "There's nobody getting more contact than Russ going to the basket, and it's just crazy. ... It's a piece of s--t being on that floor."

The NBA's Last Two Minute Report confirmed that Westbrook's sixth foul was correctly called. George's was not under review because it came before the two-minute mark. Of the 19 fouls called in the game's final two minutes, the report only identifies two as being incorrect.

On the season, George leads the Thunder with 28.4 points per game. He has been a crucial part in Oklahoma City's surge to 40-26. Ahead of Monday's clash with the Utah Jazz, the Thunder sit in fourth place in the Western Conference.

Oklahoma City Thunder superstar forward Paul George can expect a fine from the NBA after publicly criticizing officials following the team's 118-110 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night.

Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com provided the full remarks from George, who said, "There's gotta be a change, but there's nothing that I can do," after the Thunder incurred a 34-26 foul disparity in the contest. George, point guard Russell Westbrook and center Steven Adams all fouled out during the fourth quarter.

"It's just bad officiating. I'm sorry, just bad officiating. We don't get a fair whistle. We haven't gotten a fair whistle all year. ... Somebody's got to look into this. It's getting out of hand, where we somehow just walk teams to the line. And there's nobody that gets more contact. If I don't speak for myself, I speak for Russ. There's nobody that gets more contact than Russ going to the basket. And it's just crazy.

"I don't understand it. It's a piece of s--- being on that floor. We giving everything we got. We're playing hard. We're getting grabbed. We're getting scratched, clawed, held, shoved. And there's nothing for it. The officials just get to walk out, and there's nothing that penalizes them for not officiating the game the right way."

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Neither Westbrook nor OKC head coach Billy Donovan were willing to match the MVP candidate's strong stance following the game, per Youngmisuk.

"To play without fouling is tough sometimes," Westbrook said. "A lot of those guys, like, play to get fouled. That is how the game is nowadays. It's not really basketball. You're just playing to get fouled to see what happens."

Donovan added: "Too much fouling. Our guys are playing hard and competing, but like there is no reason for Lou Williams to get to the free throw line 20 times. We've got to know that. And like our guys are playing really hard and are really competing, but we are fouling too much away from the ball when we don't have to."

The Thunder are called for the fourth-most fouls per game (22.8), according to Team Rankings. They are also tied for the most technical fouls (0.7 per game).

George has compiled $198,000 worth of fines throughout his NBA career, $50,000 of which was for three separate instances of criticism of officials, per Spotrac.

The Thunder, who sit fourth in the Western Conference with a 40-26 record, return to action Monday night with a road game against the Utah Jazz.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook called for better protection for NBA players from fans after a young fan hit him on the arm during Tuesday's 121-112 road loss to the Denver Nuggets.

As seen below, a fan stood up and tapped Westbrook on the arm during a stoppage in play:

According to Maddie Lee of The Oklahoman, Westbrook said:

"For all fans, though, there's too much leeway for the fans to be able to touch the players and get away with it, and then you can't react and do the things that we need to do to protect ourselves. ... But I can't do nothing. What am I going to do, hop in the stands? But there has to be some type of rule or some type of boundaries set that you can't allow that."

Westbrook has had no shortage of run-ins with fans over the past year or so, which likely played into his frustration.

Last February, a fan walked onto the court after a game in Denver, no less, and got in Westbrook's face. He, in turn, pushed the fan.

Then, during OKC's first-round playoff loss to the Utah Jazz, Westbrook swiped at a fan who was recording him on a phone as he walked to the locker room.

Tuesday's situation ended up being more innocent by comparison, but Westbrook added: "He [the kid] hit me, so I told his dad, 'Be careful, man. You can't have your son just hitting random people.' I don't know him, he don't know me. So, just letting him know, 'You've just got to control your kids.'"

Aside from fan-related issues, the 2017 MVP and eight-time All-Star is having another strong season with averages of 22.5 points, 11.3 rebounds and 10.9 assists per game, which has him in position to average a triple-double for the third consecutive campaign.

Also, despite the loss, the Thunder sit third in the Western Conference at 38-22, behind only the Golden State Warriors and Nuggets.

James Harden and Team LeBron earned bragging rights with a 178-164 victory over Paul George and Team Giannis at Sunday's All-Star Game at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, but the Oklahoma City Thunder swingman gave the Houston Rockets guard a taste of his own medicine during the contest.

"What move I do? Hit him with his s--t," George told reporters when asked about the step-back three-pointer he drilled over Harden. "... I got that in my package too, so ain't no travels over here."

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George tied for the second-leading scorer on Team Giannis with 20 points behind only the captain himself (38 points), continuing his dominant season that has seen him average a career-best 28.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game.

Harden countered with 12 points and took a backseat to game MVP Kevin Durant (31 points).

With the All-Star Game officially in the rearview mirror, George and Harden can get back to battling for playoff positioning in the Western Conference and the league MVP with the stretch run to come.

Golden State Warriors superstar Kevin Durant was asked about the season Paul George has put together for the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Durant was complimentary of PG-13 and the "nice synergy" he's built with Russell Westbrook.

"I think PG is just going out there and playing free and understanding what his role is as a go-to scorer for the Thunder," Durant told reporters. "I think him and Russ have got some nice synergy out there, running with their teammates. You're just starting to see him shine bright. I think he's always shown this stuff, but I think he has just more opportunities to do so."

George, 28, is having an MVP-worthy season, averaging 28.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.3 steals per game while shooting 45.3 percent from the field and 40.6 percent from three.

His defense on the wing has also made him one of the best two-way players in the NBA.

With George, the Thunder have a 10.4 net rating, per NBA.com. When he sits, that number plunges to minus-11.2. Oklahoma City scores 112.3 points per 100 possessions with George and just 97.9 without him, while the Thunder allow only 101.9 points per 100 possessions while he's playing and 109.1 points when he isn't.

To put George's value in perspective, Westbrook's net rating is 7.4, and he's averaging a triple-double yet again (21.7 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 11.2 APG).

"I think honestly, it's more so just me being in a comfortable place," George said, per The Oklahoman's Erik Horne. "Obviously, I'm a different player than what I was three, four years ago. I just feel like everything up until this point, I've just learned and kind of just developed into my own. And then obviously, I work hard. I work a lot."

Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook posted his 11th straight triple-double on Thursday thanks to 44 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists in a 131-122 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans:

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That mark is a record and broke the previous triple-double streak of nine set by Philadelphia 76ers center Wilt Chamberlain in 1968.

Westbrook's run is remarkable, but the 11-year veteran said he can do better after the game:

"I have so much room for improvement, just for me personally, because I know how good I can be and how much I can bring to the game and to help this team be successful," Westbrook told reporters. "So I'm very, very optimistic."

Per ESPN.com, Westbrook was asked what part of his game could improve, to which the ex-UCLA star replied: "Everywhere. Because I do everything."

An eight-time All-Star and seven-time All-NBA team member, Westbrook is on pace to average a triple-double over an entire season for the third straight year. He's also averaging a career-high 2.2 steals per game and is 23rd among 97 qualified point guards in defensive real plus-minus, per ESPN.com.

If there's any aspect of Westbrook's game that needs to improve, it's his shooting. He entered Thursday having made just 41.2 percent of his field goals and 24.4 percent of his three-pointers. The former figure is his lowest mark since his rookie season, while Westbrook last shot under 24.4 percent from three-point land in 2009-10. Westbrook's 65.1 percent free-throw rate is a career low.

But that doesn't seem to matter much with the Thunder on a roll and Westbrook and MVP candidate George forming one of the NBA's best duos. 

Oklahoma City is third in the Western Conference and has gone 11-2 in its last 13 games. The Thunder are just two games behind the Denver Nuggets for second in the West.

Veteran forward Markieff Morris agreed to sign with the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday following his buyout from the New Orleans Pelicans, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

Charania noted the Houston Rockets, Toronto Raptors and Brooklyn Nets were among the other interested teams. Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times reported last week that the Los Angeles Lakers would have considered signing Morris if he were healthy.

New Orleans acquired Morris and a 2023 second-round pick from the Washington Wizards in exchange for swingman Wesley Johnson prior to the trade deadline, but Morris never appeared in a game for the Pelicans.

In 34 games this season for the Wizards prior to the trade, Morris was averaging 11.5 points and 5.1 rebounds while shooting 43.6 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from three-point range.

Morris' numbers have been down the past two seasons after putting up career-best stats in his final full season with the Phoenix Suns and first full season with the Wizards.

In 2014-15, Morris was at his best with averages of 15.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. He was traded to Washington the following season, and then in 2016-17, he averaged 14.0 points and 6.5 rebounds per contest for the Wiz.

Despite starting 73 games last season, his production dipped to 11.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.

While the 29-year-old largely came off the bench in Washington this season with just 15 starts, his numbers didn't suffer much because of it.

Morris has come off the bench more than 200 times over the course of his 555-game NBA career, and that should bode well for him since he figures to settle into a bench role with the Thunder.

With career averages of 11.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, Morris is a versatile asset who can contribute on both ends of the floor with his new team.

Since the Wizards were struggling and unlikely to make a run in the Eastern Conference with point guard John Wall out for the season, Morris now has a much better opportunity to be part of a playoff run.

Assuming he brings his usual level and style of play to the table, Morris could be one of the best acquisitions on the buyout market this season.