Practice Report: No change in Perk, but practice was intense

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JAMES HARDEN

It is such a hot topic and point of concern for Thunder fans head coach Scott Brooks didn’t even wait to be asked about how his big man is doing.

“Perk’s still day-to-day,” he said before anyone could ask the question. The coach didn’t provide much more insight when a follow-up was asked.

“He’s still just getting treatments and working with our medical staff, in a couple of days we’ll see where he is and go from there, but he’s still just day-to-day.”

As we pointed out in this space yesterday day-to-day can mean a couple of days, like with James Harden and his concussion or it can mean almost a couple of months as it did with Thabo Sefolosha and his sore right foot.

What all this means for Kendrick Perkins and his strained hip muscle only Perk and the medical staff know for sure and they’re not talking. Even Scotty doesn’t like to approach them about things like this because he doesn’t want to try to rush the process.

KEVIN DURANT

Last season Perkins played at anywhere from 60-75 percent full strength as he recovered from knee injuries. Will he be able to begin the second round playoff series at that level? Or will he need to be fully healed before he can play?

“That’s the medical staff’s and Perk’s call,” answered Brooks, “And everybody else involved. It’s all about the player, you can’t put a guy out there if it’s gonna jeopardize anything. If he’s ready to go he will be out there. And one thing we all know about Perk, he’s as tough as they come as a competitor. He will do everything in his power to be out there.”

But the bottom line is, “if he’s not ready he’s not ready,” Brooks stressed.

So the Thunder head into this second round not knowing for sure yet who they will be playing or who will be in their starting lineup.

An answer to the opponent could come late tonight. If the Lakers beat Denver then L.A. it is, if the Nuggets steal a win at Staples Center then that series goes back to Denver for Game 6.

Thunder players and coaches will be glued to their HD TVs tonight watching that game but to a man they would admit no rooting interest.

SCOTT BROOKS

“Naw,” said Kevin Durant. “Just whoever wins that’s who we get matched up with so it really doesn’t matter. They’re two tough teams, really tough teams, we always have problems with but it’s gonna be fun.”

“I’m not rootin for anybody,” said Los Angeles native James Harden, “whoever wins, wins.” Harden did say he’ll watch with more interest than most regular fans, “I’ll be watching different players and how they’re playing and different matchups that I might be guarding, things like that.”

“Lakers-Denver whoever we play they’re both good teams, I’m gonna watch both as a fan and as a coach, this will be a good night to relax and enjoy NBA basketball,” Brooks told reporters.