Are you kidding me? He hit this shot from behind the backboard? See the video as Monta' Ellis knocks it down. From Golden State/Dallas game.

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant was named a reserve on the Western Conference All-Star Team the NBA announced today.  

 

"I am both excited and honored to be able to represent the Thunder and our organization as an NBA All-Star," said Durant. "There are a lot of people who have contributed to this achievement, it is important to me that I recognize the support I have received from my teammates, our organization and my family as well as our fans. I'm looking forward to this experience and am excited to take the floor for the Western Conference."

 

Durant becomes the first ever Thunder All-Star and the first franchise All-Star since Ray Allen was named a Western Conference reserve in 2007.  This season, Durant is averaging 29.3 points (3rd in the NBA), 7.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.4 steals and 39.9 minutes in 45 games.

 

"Kevin, through his commitment, consistency and discipline, has earned this recognition," said Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti. "He has worked diligently to improve himself as an all-around player and possesses a deep respect for team and community. We are proud to have Kevin represent the Thunder at NBA All-Star Weekend."

 

Since Christmas the third year forward has paced the NBA in scoring with 31.9 points per contest while shooting 51.2% from the field (174-340 FG) including 49.1% from beyond the arc (28-57 3FG).  He has scored 30 or more points an NBA-best 25 times this season including 25 or more points in each of the last 19 contests, which in the most in NBA history for a player under the age of 22. Durant is on pace to become just the second player in NBA history, 21 years or younger, to finish the season with a scoring average above 29 points per contest (LeBron James, 31.4 ppg, 2005-06).

 

The 2010 NBA All-Star Game, which will air live on TNT and ESPN Radio in the U.S., and reach fans in more than 200 countries and territories in more than 40 languages, will be played at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, before an expected crowd of more than 80,000 - the largest group ever to witness a live basketball game.

 

For more information on the Oklahoma City Thunder, log on to thunder.nba.com.

 

Rookie DeJuan Blair set new career highs with 28 points and 21 rebounds while filling in for Tim Duncan, and Richard Jefferson hit the game-winning jumper in overtime to lift the San Antonio Spurs to a 109-108 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night.

Jefferson ended up with the ball after the Spurs' play went awry, with Manu Ginobili diving out of bounds to save an errant pass that bounced off of Antonio McDyess. George Hill then passed it to Jefferson, who beat the shot clock with a 13-foot jumper in the lane with 9.1 seconds left. Russell Westbrook missed a potential game-winning 19-footer for Oklahoma City at the final buzzer. Kevin Durant scored 35 points and Westbrook had 25 points and 13 assists for the Thunder.

The players in the NBA are the very best at what they do. But even those guys can make mistakes. Watch as J.R. Smith of the Nuggets THINKS a shot from the Kings Tyreke Evens was good even though it barely touched the net. Smith then took the ball out of bounds, thus giving it right back to Sacramento. Watch below.

 

 

 

Since we're on basketball why not go from one of the best to one of the worst. We have already posted LeBron James' huge block now lets see someone fail miserably. Watch as this guy tries to dunk and it.....doesn't......go.......well.

Kevin Durant scored 28 points, rookie James Harden added a career-high 26 and the Oklahoma City Thunder capitalized on a brief blowup by Golden State's Corey Maggette to pull away from the Warriors for a 104-88 victory on Monday night. Oklahoma City led by one when Maggette drew two technical fouls for arguing with official Derek Richardson late in the third quarter. Durant hit both free throws, and Russell Westbrook added two more from the initial foul against Maggette. Between Maggette's ejection and the end of the third quarter,

the Thunder outscored Golden State 16-5. Monta Ellis led the Warriors with 31 points but committed nine turnovers. Golden State opened a five-game trip with assistant Keith Smart in charge while coach Don Nelson fights pneumonia.

    

The NBA can be pretty dull in the middle of the season. Well, this might spice it up a bit. Watch as Joakim Noah calls LeBron James a bit**. They almost come to blows and LeBron ends with a happy dance. Hey, you can't make this stuff up!

 

Watch as this NBA player stops WITH THE BALL and ties his shoe during a game. And the other team just waits for him!

 

Kevin Durant scored 28 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder held off a late surge by Utah for a 104-94 win over the Jazz on Tuesday night. Durant also had eight assists and Jeff Green had 19 points, six rebounds and five assists as the Thunder ended a four-game losing streak in Utah.  The Thunder built a 19-point lead early in the fourth quarter and didn't allow the Jazz to get any closer than eight down the stretch. Carlos Boozer had 26 points and seven rebounds and Deron

Williams had 10 points, nine assists and seven rebounds for the Jazz, who committed 24 turnovers.

Kevin Durant stepped back and hit the go-ahead jumper from the left corner with 38 seconds remaining for two of his 30 points, giving Oklahoma City an 83-79 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night. Jeff Green added 13 points, and Nenad Krstic had 10 to help the Thunder end a two-game road losing skid. Durant also had 10 rebounds. Chris Kaman led the Clippers with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Baron Davis added 17 points and nine assists, and Al Thornton scored 15 points.

Jason Thompson had 21 points and 14 rebounds to help Sacramento beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 101-98 on Tuesday, giving the Kings their first three-game winning streak in over a year. Sacramento (4-4) reached the .500 mark for the first time since Dec. 4, 2006. Tyreke Evans had 20 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for the Kings, who made 31 of 36 free throws. Andres Nocioni scored 16 points, while both Beno Udrih and Spencer Hawes had 12. Kevin Durant scored a season-high 37 points, including making all 18 free throws, for the Thunder. Oklahoma City lost for the fourth time in five games since opening the season with consecutive wins. Durant had a chance to send the game to OT, but missed a

3-pointer with a second left.

Kevin Durant, Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook will represent the Oklahoma City Thunder on this season's NBA All-Star ballot. The league unveiled the ballot on Tuesday in Dallas. The All-Star game will be played on Feb. 14 at Cowboys Stadium in nearby Arlington, Texas. Fans can vote at games from Sunday through Jan. 9, or online using the Thunder's Web site. Fans can also vote via text message. Durant and Green are in their third seasons. Westbrook is a second-year player.

 

Kevin Durant scored 28 points, Russell Westbrook added 17 points and 10 assists and the Oklahoma City Thunder ran away from the Orlando Magic in the second half Sunday night for a 102-74 victory. The Magic played for the fourth time this season without Vince Carter and Rashard Lewis, and also added Ryan Anderson to their injured list. They seemed to run out of gas after a strong start. Oklahoma City raced out of halftime to score the first eight points, and then added a 9-0 spurt shortly thereafter to push its lead to 72-49 on Nick Collison's basket in the lane midway through the third period. The Thunder removed any doubt with a run of 10 straight points in the fourth quarter. Dwight Howard led the Magic with 20 points.

Steve Blake scored 18 points and Brandon Roy made a late push to finish with 16, and the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 83-74 on Sunday night to split a two-game road trip. One night after scoring 42 points in a loss at Houston, Roy struggled to get anything going on offense _ and so did Kevin Durant, a fellow Rookie of the Year. Roy made just four of his first 16 shots before finally finding a way to hurt Oklahoma City at the free throw line. While Durant continued to misfire on jump shots, Roy knifed his way into the

lane repeatedly to earn trips to the foul line and help Portland inch away. His three-point play off a driving layup gave the Trail Blazers a 70-62 lead with 3:59 to play.

With Halloween over the weekend, there were a lot of sports teams who themed their games around the holiday. While the San Antonio Spurs didn't do that, they still ended up with a bat in their belphry.

Watch the video below as Manu Ginobili deals with the bat.

Kevin Durant had 25 points and 11 rebounds, Jeff Green added 24 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder led from start to finish in a 102-89 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night in the season opener for both teams. Oklahoma City hit 10 of its first 13 shots and built a double-digit lead in the first 6 minutes of the game, then never let Sacramento mount a serious comeback in Paul Westphal's debut as coach. Nenad Krstic added 20 points and Russell Westbrook had 14 points and a career-high 13 assists for the Thunder. Kevin Martin made all 14 of his free throw attempts in the first half to keep Sacramento within striking distance, but had just three points after halftime to finish with 27.

Blake Griffin's NBA debut has been pushed back indefinitely after the Clippers revealed late Monday night that their No. 1 overall draft pick has a broken left kneecap.

The stress fracture could sideline the Oklahoma star for six weeks, the team announced, promising further information Tuesday.

Griffin, who averaged 13.7 points and 8.1 rebounds per game during the preseason, won't be in the Clippers' lineup when they face the Lakers in their opener tonight at Staples Center, and he could be out much longer. The Clippers play 20 games in their first six weeks of the regular season.

Griffin apparently broke his kneecap during the Clippers' final exhibition game against New Orleans last Friday, perhaps after a dunk that left the power forward wincing in pain. The team initially said Griffin only had a sore left knee, making him questionable for the opener, before revealing the break.

Griffin was the consensus college Player of the Year with 22.7 points and an NCAA-best 14.4 rebounds per game last season for the Sooners.

After the Clippers won the draft lottery and selected him, Griffin strained his right shoulder during a summer league game in July. The team brought him back cautiously, and Griffin said he was totally healthy in the preseason.

His latest injury is a sadly unsurprising setback for the star-crossed Clippers, who won just 19 games last year in an injury-plagued season. Los Angeles has just two winning in the last 30 years and just one playoff series victory since moving to town in 1984.

Los Angeles was mostly healthy going into this fall, with point guard Baron Davis and center Chris Kaman both ready to play after missing chunks of last season. The Clippers actually have solid frontcourt talent with Marcus Camby, Al Thornton and Rasual Butler alongside Griffin.

The Thunder tips off its second season in the Ford Center on Wednesday, October 28, against the Sacramento Kings at 7 p.m. Thunder Alley, a free pregame block party on Reno Ave., will begin at 4 p.m. Tickets for Wednesday's game are still available at all price levels, starting as low as $10 per ticket. 

 

The motocross stunt show, "Defying Danger FMX and Globe of Thunder", produced by BMX stunt rider and Oklahoma native Mat Hoffman, will headline the Thunder Ally festivities. Two shows are scheduled on Reno Ave. before doors open and one after the game. Entertainment also includes a concert by country musician Mark McKinney, courtesy of Budweiser, interactive games, food, a Budweiser beer garden and an autograph session with the Thunder Girls.

 

Wednesday's national anthem will be performed by Billboard Music Award winner, R&B artist, Mario. Mario is best known for his hit song, "Let Me Love You", which earned him a Best Male R&B Vocal Performance nomination at the 48^th Annual Grammy Awards. Fans will also enjoy halftime entertainment by "America's Got Talent" finalist, Nuttin' But Stringz. The nationally recognized music duo has also preformed on the "The Today Show" , "The Tonight Show", at the Apollo Theater and for former President George W. Bush.  

 

In addition, all fans coming to the game will receive a complimentary 2009-10 Thunder schedule magnet, courtesy of Sprite.

 

                "We are thrilled to open our second season at home in the newly renovated Ford Center," said Thunder Senior Vice President Brian Byrnes. "We have the NBA's loudest and most passionate fans and look forward to launching the season Wednesday night."

               

                Fans can Thunder Up with team gear, the new Thunder Girls 2009-10 calendar and the first edition of Thunder Magazine at the ThunderShop inside the Ford Center located outside Section 102. A new personalized jersey station will be open at Sec. 120 on the concourse.

 

                The Thunder's Season Opener will be broadcast in Oklahoma City on Thunder TV/KSBI (OKC Cox Ch. 15, HD Ch. 715) and on the Thunder Radio Network statewide, led by flagship stations WWLS (640AM and 98.1 FM), the Sports Animal.

 

                Fans are encouraged to arrive early due to construction surrounding the Ford Center. Tickets for the Season Opener are still available at thunder.nba.com, 405-208-HOOP (4667) or at the Ford Center box office.

 # # #

 

Kevin Durant scored 18 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter to help the Oklahoma City Thunder rally for a 96-91 preseason win over the Miami Heat on Wednesday night. Jeff Green added 25 points for the Thunder (2-2), who didn't take their first lead until there was 3:04 left but didn't trail after that. Etan Thomas, who grew up in Tulsa, made two free throws with 11.4 seconds left to make it 95-91 and Durant made one of two from the line to seal the win. Michael Beasley led Miami (0-4) with 24 points, while Daequan Cook scored 14. The Heat played without star guard Dwyane Wade, who missed his second straight preseason game with a strained muscle in his left rib cage.

Rookie James Harden scored six of his 11 points in overtime, helping the Oklahoma City Thunder salvage a 30-point outing by Kevin Durant and win their preseason home opener
by beating the Phoenix Suns 110-105 on Monday night. Amare Stoudemire scored 20 points for the Suns, who twice rallied from double-digit deficits _ the second time with backups and never led until overtime. Phoenix was up 103-100 before the Thunder closed the game on a 10-2 run. D.J. White put Oklahoma City ahead for good at 104-103 with a jumper with 2:55 left and Michael Harris followed with a three-point play. Durant went 5 of 5 from 3-point range as the Thunder finished 9 of 17 from behind the arc.

The Oklahoma City Thunder plays host to two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns tonight at 7p.m. in the Thunder's preseason home opener at the Ford Center. Good seats are still available for tonight's game and for the other preseason game at the Ford Center on Thursday, Oct. 22 vs. the Sacramento Kings. Tickets can be purchased at the Ford Center Box Office, by calling 405-208-HOOP or by visiting the team's website at thunder.nba.com.

 

The Thunder will also be playing a preseason game this Wednesday, Oct. 14 at the BOK Center in Tulsa vs. the Miami Heat.  Fans are asked to visit bokcenter.com for ticket information.

 

THUNDER NEWS:

·          Miss America 2009 Katie Stam will be in attendance at tonight's game. Stam, who won the Miss Indiana title earlier this year, is a communications major at the University of Indianapolis.

·          Single game tickets for the first half of the season up to and including the Jan. 16 game against the Miami Heat are on sale now. A number of seats at all price levels remain for marquee matchups including the season opener against the Sacramento Kings on Oct. 28, the Los Angeles Lakers on Nov. 3, and the only visit by the Los Angeles Clippers on Nov. 15.  Single-game tickets start as low as $10. Similar to last year, the Thunder will hold back approximately 200 tickets for walkup sales on game day.

 

###

Free agent Desmond Mason won't be returning to the Oklahoma City Thunder next season. Mason's agent, Roger Montgomery, confirmed to The Associated Press on Tuesday that talks between the nine-year NBA veteran and the Thunder had broken down and the two sides wouldn't be agreeing on a new contract. Mason had expressed his desire to return to Oklahoma City after a knee injury forced him to miss the second half of last season. Montgomery says the two sides weren't able to agree on a role for Mason, who still wants to make significant contributions  instead of simply being a mentor for younger players. General manager Sam Presti called it a ``difficult decision,'' but said the Thunder wanted to allow Mason to pursue other opportunities.

The Oklahoma City Thunder and American Fidelity Assurance Company, in cooperation with the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Library System, have launched the Thunder Summer Reading Club.

 

Children ages 6-18 were given two goals this summer to encourage reading. Nearly 23,000 area youth and teens signed up for the Summer Reading Club, and the incentive to get to a Thunder game this season has encouraged the children to reach the ultimate goal. The first goal is to read or listen to eight books, read eight hours or 800 pages to receive a reading ribbon. However, if any of the children in the program read or listen to an additional eight books, read and additional hours or an additional 800 pages, they will receive a special ticket offer to a Thunder game.

 

There are 17 metropolitan libraries hosting the Thunder Summer Reading Club. With the Thunder's involvement this season, there are 5,000 more area youth signed up for the program.

Starting this Friday, the Thunder is partnering with United Way of Central Oklahoma to assist in the Stuff the Bus campaign, a back-to-school clothing drive benefiting local kids in need, beginning August 7 through August 29. United Way is collecting new school clothing and uniforms for students grades Pre-K through 12. This weekend is the Oklahoma Sales Tax Holiday, and shoppers  at Penn Square Mall will not be charged sales tax on clothing and shoe items $100 or less . Donors can contribute clothing or gift cards by placing them in school bus collection boxes located throughout Penn Square Mall. United Way asks that all donated clothing be new and include original tags.

 

WHAT:                   The Thunder Girls and Rumble the Bison help collect clothes for the United of Central Oklahoma's Stuff the Bus campaign.

 

WHO:                     Thunder Girls  

                                Rumble the Bison

 

WHEN:                   Thunder Girls

Friday, August 7

11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

 

Rumble

Saturday, August 8

1:00 p.m.

WHERE:                 Penn Square Mall

                                1900 NW Expressway

 

                                Thunder Girls - Pepperoni Grill entrance

                                Rumble -Cantina Laredo entrance

 

ABOUT THE UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA:

United Way of Central Oklahoma creates opportunities for a better life by focusing on successful kids, strong families, independent living, healthy citizens, and community preparedness. Through a network of local partner agencies, United Way serves one in three central Oklahomans each year while maintaining the highest level of accountability. For more information, visit www.unitedwayokc.org or call 405-236-8441.

                                                                  

ABOUT THE THUNDER'S COMMUNITY OUTREACH:

The Thunder's Community Relations initiatives strive to make a positive impact on the Oklahoma City community through programs that focus on children's literacy and education, youth and family development, health, wellness and fitness. The Thunder also makes hundreds of donations throughout the year to local nonprofits in support of their fundraising efforts.

 

The Oklahoma City Thunder have announced their 2010 pre-season schedule, beginning with a road game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Oct. 7. Only two of the Thunder's pre-season games will be played in Oklahoma City, with others scheduled at New Orleans and Miami and at neutral sites in Austin, Texas; and  Tulsa. The Thunder's only pre-season games at the Ford Center will be on Oct. 12 against Phoenix and on Oct. 22 against Sacramento. The rest of the schedule features an Oct. 10 visit to New Orleans, an Oct. 14 game against Miami in Tulsa, an Oct. 19 road game at Houston and a return to Kevin Durant's college campus in Austin for an Oct. 20 contest against San Antonio.

Los Angeles Clippers center Blake Griffin didn't wait long Monday night to show why he was the top pick in last month's NBA draft. The former Sooners star had seven points in the opening 75 seconds of the Clippers' first NBA Summer League game and finished with 27 points and 12 rebounds in a 93-82 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. He says he's trying to show the Clippers' coaches and players what he's can do. He says he felt relaxed and enjoyed himself. NBA commissioner David Stern was sitting court-side at the Thomas & Mack Center as the 6-foot-10 Griffin went 6 of 6 from the field in the first half. He didn't miss a shot until the third quarter. He finished 11 of 15 from the field and played 29 minutes. Griffin led the NCAA last season with 30 double-doubles for Oklahoma, and he couldn't have asked for a better start to his professional career.

The Los Angeles Clippers today signed rookie forward Blake Griffin, the first overall selection in the 2009 NBA Draft. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not announced.

A dominant power forward and a commanding physical presence, Griffin was the consensus National Player of the Year following a sophomore season where he averaged 22.7 points and 14.4 rebounds for the Sooners.

The 20-year old Oklahoma City native dominated college basketball last season, winning every major postseason player of the year award. Griffin led the nation in rebounding (504 rebounds) and double-doubles (30) and helped the Sooners advance to the Elite Eight in the 2009 NCAA Tournament.

The 6-foot-10, 251 pound Griffin was named to the All-Big 12 Team as a freshman in 2007-08, and continued to improve last season, finishing second in the nation in field goal percentage (.659) and 11th in scoring (22.7 ppg). Griffin's 504 rebounds last season was the highest season rebound total in college basketball since Larry Bird grabbed 505 boards in 1978-79.

Griffin is a member of the Los Angeles Clippers' entry in the 2009 NBA Summer League presented by EA Sports. The Clippers begin summer league play on Monday, July 13th vs. the Lakers in a game played at the Thomas and Mack Center on the campus of the University of Nevada Las Vegas, tipping off at 5:30 PM.

 

 

The Los Angeles Clippers signed Blake Griffin Thursday, the #1 overall selection in the 2009 NBA Draft. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not announced.

A dominant power forward and a commanding physical presence, Griffin was the consensus National Player of the Year following a sophomore season where he averaged 22.7 points and 14.4 rebounds for the Sooners.

The 20-year old Oklahoma City native dominated college basketball last season, winning every major postseason player of the year award. Griffin led the nation in rebounding (504 rebounds) and double-doubles (30) and helped the Sooners advance to the Elite Eight in the 2009 NCAA Tournament.

The 6-foot-10, 251 pound Griffin was named to the All-Big 12 Team as a freshman in 2007-08, and continued to improve last season, finishing second in the nation in field goal percentage (.659) and 11th in scoring (22.7 ppg). Griffin's 504 rebounds last season was the highest season rebound total in college basketball since Larry Bird grabbed 505 boards in 1978-79.

Griffin is a member of the Los Angeles Clippers' entry in the 2009 NBA Summer League presented by EA Sports. The Clippers begin summer league play on Monday, July 13th vs. the Lakers in a game played at the Thomas and Mack Center on the campus of the University of Nevada Las Vegas, tipping off at 5:30 PM.

The Oklahoma City Thunder will play one game a day this week in the Orlando Pro Summer League. They face the Indiana Pacers today, the Boston Celtics tomorrow, a combined New Jersey Nets-Philadelphia 76ers squad on Thursday and the Utah Jazz on Friday.     Oklahoma City's team will include starting point guard Russell Westbrook, Kyle Weaver, D.J. White and Shaun Livingston, along with the Thunder's three recent draft choices, James Harden, B.J. Mullens and Robert Vaden. The Orlando event is the first of two summer leagues in which the Thunder will participate. Oklahoma City also will field a team next week in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

Cleveland is close to acquiring center Shaquille O'Neal in a trade with the Phoenix Suns, a person with knowledge of the deal has told The Associated Press. The  teams have reached an agreement in principle on the deal, which would unite O'Neal with Cavaliers superstar LeBron James, the NBA's MVP. O'Neal will join Cleveland in exchange for center Ben Wallace, guard Sasha Pavlovic, a second-round draft pick and cash, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because the league still must approve the deal. Yahoo! Sports first reported the deal. The 37-year-old O'Neal, who has won four NBA titles, had one year left on his contract with the Suns. He averaged 17.8 points and 8.4 rebounds last season and appeared in his 15th All-Star game.

The Oklahoma City Thunder announced today that the general public will have an opportunity to select seats and purchase season tickets for the 2009-10 season on Friday, June 12 at the Coca-Cola Bricktown Events Center from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.  The limited number of available season tickets to be offered beginning Friday, will include seats in a variety of locations and price levels.

 

After Friday, fans can purchase season tickets by calling 405.208.HOOP or visiting thunder.nba.com.

 

"This is a great opportunity to secure the best remaining seats for every home game, join the Thunder family and enjoy the significant improvements being made to the Ford Center," said Brian Byrnes, Senior Vice President of Ticket Sales and Service. "Fans next season will receive a more dynamic in-game experience and an exciting team getting better every day."

 

                On Friday only, Thunder staff members will be on hand to assist fans with questions, help select seats and be shown new 3-D charts detailing seats available for purchase. Those who attend will also have the opportunity to view a model of the new center scoreboard, preview the Ford Center renovations and see options for new seating environments like the Terrace Suite and Terrace Seating. Seat locations are based on availability, and a limited inventory exists in many sections throughout the arena.

 

Season ticket prices remain the same from last year, with a range of price levels and payment options to meet all budgets. The limited inventory includes Loud City tickets in the $10-30 range, Club seats and lower level seating. As always, seats will be set aside for single game tickets, partial season packages and group plans. Information on these seats will be released later this summer.

 

On Thursday, June 25 the Thunder will host an NBA Draft party at Riverwind Casino beginning at 6 p.m. The NBA Draft will be broadcast live on ESPN. This is a free event open to the public and fans of all ages.

 

Visit the new thunder.nba.com now to see the interactive, 3-D seating chart of the Ford Center. 

The Thunder announced today it's looking for Oklahoma's most creative and enthusiastic fan to be there when the balls fall at the NBA Draft Lottery on Thursday, May 19 in Secaucus, NJ. All fans 18 or older who are Oklahoma state residents are invited to submit a seven-word essay on thunder.nba.com explaining why they should represent the Thunder at the Lottery in May.

 

The top three finalists will be placed on thunder.nba.com and all site visitors will be able to vote on the most creative entry. The Grand Prize winner will win round-trip airfare from Oklahoma City to New York City, hotel accommodations, per diem for the trip and will head to the Draft Lottery at the NBA Entertainment studios.

 

Deadline for entries on thunder.nba.com is midnight on Monday, May 4. Fans should refrain from using draft eligible player names, numbers and schools. The winning entry will be announced on Thursday, May 7 at thunder.nba.com.

 

The 2009 NBA Draft is set for Thursday, June 25 with coverage beginning at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN.

Authorities say a former NBA star who led the Seattle SuperSonics to the 1978 NBA finals was found dead inside a room at a downtown Tulsa hotel. Tulsa police spokesman Jason Willingham says 56-year-old Marvin Webster was discovered Monday morning in a bathtub inside his room at the Ambassador Hotel. Willingham says police don't suspect foul play and that Webster's death apparently was the result of an illness. A spokeswoman for the Medical Examiner's Office says an official cause of death has not been determined. Willingham says Webster had been living at the hotel, and employees grew concerned after not seeing him for several days. Known as ``The Human Eraser,'' Webster spent nine seasons in the NBA and also played for the New York Knicks. He lost his son, Marvin Webster Junior, to a heart attack when the younger Webster was 18 and was playing basketball at Temple.

Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook each scored 24 points, and the Oklahoma City Thunder held on for a 99-98 victory over the Sacramento Kings. Last night's win was Oklahoma City's fifth in six games during its best stretch of the season. It was only the Thunder's fifth road victory this year. Thabo Sefolosha had 17 points for the Thunder. Malik Rose scored 11 points and Nenad Krstic added nine points and 15 rebounds. Spencer Hawes had 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists for the Kings. Francisco Garcia made four 3-pointers and scored 18, Andres Nocioni had 16 points and seven rebounds, and Rashad McCants added 13 points. Kevin Martin, the Kings' leading scorer, was on the bench in the game's final 15 minutes and scored 12 points.

Kevin Durant scored 39 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder held off the Sacramento Kings for a 116-113 victory after blowing a 19-point second-quarter lead. Jeff Green and Nick Collison each scored 15 points and Nenad Krstic had 14 for Oklahoma City, which pulled out the win last night despite missing four of five free throws in the finals seconds. The Thunder have a two-game winning streak for just the third time this season. Beno Udrich scored 29 points, and John Salmons and Kevin Martin each had 23 for the Kings.

It was an exciting night at the Ford center in Oklahoma City. The Thunder were coming off this first win and had the defending champion Celtics coming to town.

Great crowd, great atmosphere, great first quarter, and then it all fell apart. Boston beat OKC 96-83 with a strong final three quarters.

Read all about it and hang in there Thunder fans!

The NBA will be in Oklahoma City in a few weeks but can you afford to go? The franchise released season ticket packages and prices Thursday and it looks pretty affordable.

 

The average ticket will be in the $47.00 dollar range with the high end seats going for around $250.00. The better news is, most of the upper deck will go for $20.00 or less.

Check out the prices and keep in mind that the single game tickets will not go in sale for a few weeks.

The NBA season is just around the corner and the new franchise in Oklahoma City has added a name you will recognize. Former OSU star Desmond Mason from the Milwaukee Bucks in a three team deal. OKC also gets forward Joe Smith from Clevelandin the deal. Read the entire release below. 

OKLAHOMA CITY, Wednesday, August 13, 2008 -  The Oklahoma City NBA franchise has acquired Desmond Mason from the Milwaukee Bucks and Joe Smith from the Cleveland Cavaliers in a three-team trade, it was announced today by General Manager Sam Presti. In exchange for Mason and Smith, Oklahoma City sent guards Luke Ridnour and Adrian Griffin to Milwaukee. Milwaukee traded Mo Williams to Cleveland and Cleveland sent Damon Jones to Milwaukee.

 

"We're pleased to add Desmond Mason and Joe Smith to our team," Presti said. "Both players bring us a wealth of NBA experience and professionalism, and we're excited to bring them to our organization in Oklahoma City."

 

Mason played last season with the Milwaukee Bucks where he averaged 9.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. Prior to joining the Bucks, Mason played two seasons with the New Orleans Hornets, but spent both seasons in Oklahoma City when the Hornets where forced to move following Hurricane Katrina. In 599 career games in the NBA, the 6-5 forward has averaged 12.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. The Oklahoma State University alum was named an Honorable Mention All-American his senior season in Stillwater and finished his career with the Cowboys fourth on the all-time scoring list (1,702), fourth on the all-time rebounding list (795), fourth in steals (158) and second in games played (129). Mason was originally drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics in 2000 with the 17^th overall selection in the first round.

 

Smith is a 13-year veteran of the NBA and helped the Cleveland Cavaliers in their playoff run last season by averaging 6.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game in 13 post-season games. Smith was acquired by the Cavs on Feb. 21 of last year. A veteran of 893 regular season and 32 post-season games, Smith has averaged 11.9 points and 6.9 rebounds per game in his 13 seasons. He has scored 20 or more points 113 times including a 31-point outburst last season on Jan. 3 vs. Portland when Smith was a member of the Chicago Bulls. The 6-10 forward has also scored 30 or more points 14 times. He was named the National Collegiate Player of the Year and was named First Team All-America by the AP and Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year while at the University of Maryland. Smith was originally drafted by the Golden State Warriors with the No. 1 overall selection in the 1995 NBA Draft.

 

 

 

The first time the new NBA franchise in OKC tips off in Oklahoma, it will be in Tulsa. The yet to be named team will face Houston in a pre-season game at the BOK center on October 13th. The entire pre-season schedule is below.

DAY                   DATE                     OPPONENT                                     TIME              LOCATION

Wednesday      October 8               at Minnesota Timberwolves          7 pm                TBD

Friday                 October 10             at Sacramento Kings                       9:00 pm           ARCO Arena

Saturday            October 11             at Golden State Warriors                9:30 pm           Oracle Arena

Monday             October 13             at Houston Rockets                         7:30 pm           BOK Center - Tulsa

Tuesday            October 14             vs. Los Angeles Clippers               7 pm                Ford Center

Thursday           October 23             at Phoenix Suns                                9 pm                US Airways Center

Friday                 October 24             at Los Angeles Lakers                    9 pm                Citizens Business Park Arena - Ontario, CA

 

 
 

 

The NBA playoffs roll on and the team in OKC last year is on fire! The  New Orleans Hornets blasted Dallas 127-103. Chris Paul had 32 points and a franchise record 17 assists for the winners. Dwight Howard was a monster for Orlando as the Magic edged the Toronto Raptors 104-103. Howard had 29 points, 20 rebounds and five blocks as the Magic took a two games to none lead in the series. San Antonio fell behind big early but came back to beat Phoenix 102-96. Tony Parker scored 32 for the Spurs.

 More games tonight, the schedule includes;

Philadelphia at Detroit    (Sixers lead series 1-0)

Atlanta visits Boston      (Celtics lead series 1-0)

Lakers host Denver        (LA leads series 1-0)