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What now?

by Royce Young on April 26, 2013 at 3:32 pm 1,612 Comments

As I often tend to do, I was still laying in bed, going through my “morning” routine which includes posting links, reading up on stuff, periodically petting my dog, watching five straight SportsCenters and starting to piece together the day.

I tweeted an awesome video of Lil’ Kendrick Perkins doing some karate, and was about ready to actually start doing something.

Then the email hit my inbox. “RUSSELL WESTBROOK INJURY UPDATE.” Keep Reading…

Random collection of thoughts on Russell Westbrook’s injury

by Michael Kimball on April 26, 2013 at 2:01 pm 258 Comments

Layne Murdoch/NBAE/Getty Images

Where to start? (Now THAT is the kind of lede that journalism school professors dream of coaxing out of their students.)

But that’s where Thunder fans are left Friday — not even knowing where to start . Searching. Reeling. Confused. Distraught. Distracted. Hurt. No one knows what to say, or what to do.

It’s safe to assume that a real injury to Russell Westbrook was nowhere on the list of any Thunder fan’s concerns regarding the playoffs this season. Or any season. Personally, I was operating under the assumption that Westbrook was as resilient as a McDonalds cheeseburger. I didn’t think it was possible for him to be hurt enough to miss a game.

Apparently, it’s possible. Keep Reading…

Presti, Brooks and Durant on the Westbrook injury

by Royce Young on April 26, 2013 at 1:42 pm 84 Comments

Russell Westbrook is out for an indefinite period of time with a torn meniscus and will have surgery soon.

Westbrook injured it in Game 2 against the Rockets when he collided with Patrick Beverley. Comments from Sam Presti, Scott Brooks and Kevin Durant from today’s availability after the jump. Keep Reading…

Report: Westbrook could return in weeks, not months

by Royce Young on April 26, 2013 at 12:41 pm 352 Comments

Per Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports:

The meniscus tear is considered to be minimal – perhaps 2 percent of the meniscus, one source said – and Westbrook’s recovery could be weeks instead of months, if the doctor decides to simply “clean up” the meniscus. A full repair of the meniscus would likely mean a three-month recovery for Westbrook.

So there’s that.

Russell Westbrook to undergo surgery on meniscus tear

by Royce Young on April 26, 2013 at 11:55 am 461 Comments

Russell Westbrook will undergo surgery on his right knee to repair a torn lateral meniscus, the team announced today.

No timetable was included.

“Our players’ health is our first and foremost concern. The Thunder’s medical team and several specialists we consulted with determined that Russell undergo a procedure to address the issue,” said Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti in a release. “We have thoroughly discussed this with Russell. Despite being the competitor and teammate that he is, he respects and understands the decision and is committed to come back even stronger. Certainly Russell is a leader and core player for this team, but we are in the midst of the playoffs and I know other players are determined to step up and contribute. We have a resilient group of players who have always taken pride in playing as a team and that approach will continue.”

The team says the injury occurred in the second quarter of Game 2. Which yes, is when Patrick Beverley tried to steal the ball from Westbrook after a timeout, appearing to bang knees or something with him. Westbrook was hobbled, but stayed in the game and finished it out, scoring 29 points. Keep Reading…

Friday Bolts – 4.26.13

by Royce Young on April 26, 2013 at 10:55 am 157 Comments

Berry Tramel: “The Thunder’s close save with the Rockets — a 105-102 victory Wednesday night that gave OKC a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series — was a little close for comfort. The Thunder led by 15 points in the fourth quarter, then Houston went on a 21-2 and led 95-91 with 31/2 minutes left, before the Thunder rallied. That’s against an overmatched, short-handed opponent, which is often the case in a series between a No. 1 seed and a No. 8 seed. So it got me to thinking. How often does an NBA Finalist have such a first-round game at home? Is it rare? Is the Thunder playing like that a sign that it’s not Finals-caliber.”

Darnell Mayberry on Russell Westbrook: “The ensuing inbounds pass went right back to Westbrook in the post. As Westbrook went into his move, backing Beverley down, Beverley tried to be physical. Too physical. He was called for his fourth foul, forcing him to sit for the next three minutes, 44 seconds. Twenty-three seconds after Beverley returned, Westbrook used a Kendrick Perkins screen to get to the basket, convert a layup and get a three-point play opportunity. It bumped the Thunder’s lead to 11 and went down as the defining moment of Westbrook’s maturation. At that point, Westbrook had won. He had gotten the best of Beverley and finally broke free from his inner demons.” Keep Reading…

The Side Part: Suddenly uncool

by Tyler Parker on April 25, 2013 at 2:56 pm 646 Comments

Ronald Martinez/NBAE/Getty Images

Allow me to introduce Tyler Parker, who will be contributing a weekly Thursday column to Daily Thunder called The Side Part, named in honor of Nick Collison’s perfectly parted hair. He currently is a contributing editor for TrueHoop brother Ballerball and a Thunder fan to the core. Tyler’s got a unique style, but can write his socks off. Hope you enjoy what he’s got. You can follow him on Twitter here. -ed

Mike Jones, Chili’s, and Bank Cards

Dead Houstonian dreams lay waste in Bricktown streets. Bits of beard hair clog the city sewers. No love coming home, because it’s not home anymore.

* * *

Free razors for everyone. Mach 957 Turbos from Gillette. No beards here. Not today, or any other.

There will be no follicle left behind and there will be no Privaledge on this playlist. UGK are no longer international with their playadom. They’re merely local. Mike Jones is not available at this moment or any other. 281-330-8004 goes straight to voicemail. Keep Reading…

Dressing for success, or a championship

by Royce Young on April 25, 2013 at 12:05 pm 156 Comments

Mike Ehrmann/NBAE/Getty Images

OK, so the idea was this: You know how Rick Pitino told his Louisville team he’d get a tattoo if they won a national title this season?

What if Scott Brooks made the Thunder a similar deal, but instead of something permanent like an “I heart KD” tattoo, he just agreed to let Russell Westbrook dress him for a week, or maybe even just a day.

“A week?” Brooks responded.

OK, a game then. Keep Reading…

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