Thunder Team Report (Yahoo! Sports)
January 5, 2009
Nenad Krstic's arrival in Oklahoma City wasn't the typical free-agent signing. Not only did the Thunder sign the Serbian center to an offer sheet in the middle of the season, the deal was further complicated by Krstic playing overseas.
Oklahoma City helped negotiate a buyout with the Russian club Lyubertsy of Superleague A. NBA teams can pay up to $500,000 to satisfy a buyout.
Bring him in now for $16 million over three years is a bargain if Krstic is as healthy as team doctors believe and his play in Russia suggest. The 25-year-old 7-footer with 18-foot range and high basketball IQ would have heavily been pursued this summer.
"We're no different than any other team in the league," general manager Sam Presti said.
Westbrook’s honor gives dismal Thunder bright spot (AP)
January 5, 2009
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook didn't know there was such a thing as a rookie of the month award in the NBA -- until he won it. "I think it's good," Westbrook said of receiving the Western Conference honor for December, "but at the same time, we're trying to continue to win and continue to work hard." Wins have been hard to come by this season for Oklahoma City, which is 4-30...Anthony’s late 3-pointer lifts Denver past Thunder (AP)
January 3, 2009
Kevin Durant had just made a clutch 3-pointer over Carmelo Anthony with 2.7 seconds left, putting the Oklahoma City Thunder on the verge of an unexpected victory over the Northwest Division-leading Denver Nuggets. Then friend Carmelo Anthony upstaged him. Anthony took the ensuing inbounds pass from Kenyon Martin and answered with a 3-pointer of his own from the corner with 0.1 seconds left, capping...
Thunder top Warriors for 4th victory of the season (AP)
January 1, 2009
Scott Brooks figured his Oklahoma City Thunder team had been in enough close games in the fourth quarter to eventually win one. Their time came Wednesday night. The Thunder pulled away in the third quarter and held on for a 107-100 victory over the Golden State Warriors. It was only the fourth win of the season for Oklahoma City, which snapped a five-game losing streak.
Jennings’ transition to Europe a slowing process (Yahoo! Sports)
January 1, 2009
Brandon Jennings is serving as a test case for getting around the NBA's high school rule.