76ers at Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder got used to playing without Kevin Durant last season and will go through the experience again for at least the next week after their former MVP suffered a hamstring strain. Russell Westbrook will take the lead when the Thunder host the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday.
Durant, who missed 55 games last season due to a series of foot surgeries, landed awkwardly during a win at Washington on Tuesday and will miss the next 7-to-10 days. "Whenever I feel right, whenever I feel ready to play again, that's when I'll play," Durant told reporters. "It was a long process of me getting back, and to get hurt again is unfortunate, but whenever I'm ready to play again, I'll play.” Oklahoma City lucked out in terms of the schedule in the next 10 days, when it will play Boston, Memphis, New Orleans and the New York Knicks following the meeting with the winless 76ers. Philadelphia is the only remaining winless team in the NBA after falling 119-103 at home to the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, CSN Philadelphia, FSN Oklahoma
ABOUT THE 76ERS (0-8): Philadelphia does not have to search far to find reasons for optimism, and rookies Jahlil Okafor and T.J. McConnell continue to impress. Okafor matched a season high with 26 points on Wednesday and McConnell set a season high with 13 assists, but coach Brett Brown is still trying to find the right players to put around his talented rookies as the team deals with several injuries. “We just tried to put out fires all over the place,” Brown told reporters after Wednesday’s setback. “You’re just trying to find combinations to be competitive, find ways to score.”
ABOUT THE THUNDER (5-3): Westbrook exploded without Durant around last season and ripped off a string of triple-doubles, but the team faded down the stretch and missed out on the playoffs. Westbrook notched his first triple-double of the season on Tuesday (22 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists) with Durant watching the second half from the bench, but it was the defense coming together under first-year coach Billy Donovan that was the most impressive part of the 125-101 win. “We did a really good job of sprinting back and loading to the ball,” Donovan told reporters. “That was a key for us defensively, getting our defense set and then our bigs did a pretty good job of contesting and challenging shots around the basket.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Thunder G Dion Waiters is 15-of-22 from the floor in the last three games, including 6-of-8 from beyond the arc.
2. Philadelphia PF Nerlens Noel (wrist) sat out Wednesday’s game and is day-to-day.
3. Oklahoma City has taken 12 straight in the series.