Following Sunday's (AEDT) 116-108 win over the Warriors, the Rockets' Clint Capela claimed his team has surpassed the Warriors after beating them twice this season.
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"We're confident because we know if we're doing what we're supposed to do, we're going to beat them ... We are better than them," Capela told ESPN.com.
Naturally, Capela's comments didn't sit well with the Warriors, who sit 3 1/2 games ahead of the Rockets in the Western Conference standings. Kevin Durant, who said after Sunday's game that the Rockets' win didn't really matter in the grand scheme of things, responded to Capela's claims Tuesday.
“They should feel confident,” Durant told reporters of the Rockets after practice. “Obviously we’re confident. We feel as though we’re the best team in the league. We can beat anyone as well.”
Durant and Golden State have more room to talk as three-time reigning Western Conference champions. As for Capela, Durant believes his "easy" role within the Rockets' offense prompted him to make such comments.
“You hear from guys like Capela. Usually, he’s catching the ball and laying it up from [Chris Paul] or James Harden,” Durant said. “His job is not as hard. When your job is that hard, you know you can’t just come out and say s— like that.
“I don’t expect that from [Chris Paul] and James [Harden] and [Trevor] Ariza and the rest of the guys] because they know how hard it is to come out and do it every night. Capela, catch and dunk every night, it’s pretty easy.”
Kevin Durant on Clint Capela saying Houston is a better team than the Warriors: “You hear that from guys like Capela, who’s usually catching the ball or laying it up from CP or Harden. His job is not as hard. I mean when your job is that hard you don’t say shit like that.” pic.twitter.com/lbiJ1Doxf9
— Logan Murdock (@loganmmurdock) January 22, 2018