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Oklahoma City Thunder forward Nick Collison underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, the team announced today.
This past season, Collison appeared in 81 games and averaged 4.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 16.7 minutes per game.
Collison is expected to miss 4-6 weeks before returning to normal offseason activities.
Here’s the Oklahoman reporting on the Thunder:
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Kendrick Perkins, Durant’s most outspoken teammate, didn’t mind offering up a specific suggestion.
Hit the weight room.
“I feel like he could get stronger, in my opinion,” Perkins said. “I think that would help him a lot. I told him all the good and great players that played the game, from Jordan, Kobe, LeBron, they all put size on them, and it helped them.”
More strength, Perkins said, will only benefit Durant’s body and set the stage for him to succeed in demanding times. For Durant, those include the need to be a better and more consistent defender, a more dependable low-post scoring threat and to persevere through seasons like this past one in which Durant’s minutes piled up to an outlandish league-leading tally.
“Seems like there was possessions he was tired,” Perkins said of Durant. “But, like I said, I think that’s (when) getting in the weight room plays a factor. Cause then you could let your body take over.”
Here’s the Oklahoman reporting on the Thunder, who finished the regular season with a 59-23 record, second best in the league behind the San Antonio Spurs. OKC wound up losing to those Spurs in the Western Conference Finals.
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In his first public comments since the conclusion of the Thunder’s season, Sam Presti on Thursday ended all speculation surrounding Scott Brooks.
The general manager said the coach is coming back.
“Scotty, I think, did an excellent job,” Presti said at his annual season-ending news conference. “I understand we all have a tendency to look at the last game or the last series. I respect that. That’s part of sports. I can’t do that. I’m looking at a body of work. I’m looking at an understanding of what drives our success and the way in which we’ve gotten to this point.”
Brooks, Presti believes, is a big part of the reason.
The Thunder has won at least 61 percent of its games in each of Brooks’ five full seasons at the helm, and the team improved its winning percentage in five straight seasons before this year.
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San Antonio fought off Father Time, the league MVP and an injury to its best player to return to the NBA Finals.
The Spurs beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 112-107 in overtime Saturday night in Game 6 of the Western Conference finals to set up a rematch with the Miami Heat.
San Antonio will host Game 1 on Thursday night and will try to avenge last year’s heartbreaking loss. San Antonio led Miami 3-2 before losing Game 6 in overtime, then dropping Game 7…
San Antonio pulled this one out despite All-Star point guard Tony Parker missing the entire second half and overtime with left ankle soreness. Popovich said Parker had been struggling with the ankle since Game 4 of the series. The Spurs overcame it the way they have for more than a decade — with teamwork, passing and great performances by role players…
Russell Westbrook had 34 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and six steals, and MVP Kevin Durant added 31 points and 14 rebounds for the Thunder. But Oklahoma City committed 20 turnovers that led to 33 points for the Spurs. Westbrook and Durant each had seven turnovers.
— Associated Press
Here are video highlights of the top plays from Spurs vs Thunder Western Conference Finals Game 6. The Spurs won 112-107 in overtime to advance to the 2014 NBA Finals, where they will face the Miami Heat in a rematch of last year’s matchup.
The Spurs won Game 5 of their Western Conference Finals series against the Thunder, 117-89 Thursday. Here are video highlights of some of the game’s best plays:
Here are video highlights of the top plays from Spurs vs Thunder Game 3, which took place in OKC last night. The Thunder won, 106-97:
Sunday in Oklahoma City, the Thunder won Game 3 of their Western Conference Finals series against the San Antonio Spurs. OKC got a lift from the unexpected return of power forward Serge Ibaka, who in 30 minutes shot 6-of-7 for 15 points, seven rebounds, four blocks and a steal. Here are some video highlights of Ibaka’s playoff return:
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka was supposed to be out for the rest of the 2014 NBA playoffs. Yet, he’s back, and played well in Game 3, helping OKC grab a win. After the game, San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich cracked a good joke, which you can listen to here:
The Thunder beat the San Antonio Spurs Sunday night in OKC. The Spurs still lead the Western Conference Finals 2-1, but the with the return of Serge Ibaka, a shakeup in the backcourt, and a much-needed win, the Thunder have to feel better about the series. Here’s the Oklahoman reporting on a change at the shooting guard spot:
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Serge Ibaka was back, which meant Serge Ibaka was starting. That was a no-brainer for Scott Brooks.
But there were two changes to Brooks’ starting lineup before Sunday night’s 106-97 momentum-shifting win for the Thunder — the second not as loud or heroic but nearly as impactful as Ibaka’s triumphant return.
For the first time in his career, Reggie Jackson started alongside Russell Westbrook. He replaced the previously ineffective Thabo Sefolosha and injected some needed offensive punch into the lineup, playing a game-high 37 minutes and scoring 15 points — six more than three OKC starters combined for in the first two games.