OKC begins life without Durant with a loss

Oklahoma City, playing without departed former NBA MVP Kevin Durant for the first time, lost to Real Madrid 142-137 in overtime in a pre-season game.

Life without Kevin Durant began with a loss for Oklahoma City, the Thunder with a 142-137 overtime loss to Real Madrid in their first pre-season game in Spain.

The Thunder's revamped team - with Russell Westbrook, newcomer Victor Oladipo and forward Enes Kanter leading the way - were in control for the first three quarters, but allowed the nine-time Euroleague champion to rally for the victory.

Westbrook had 18 points in 22 minutes, Oladipo added 34 points and five assists in 33 minutes and Kanter had 29 points and 10 rebounds in 33 minutes.

Real Madrid sent the game into overtime with a three-pointer by Sergio Llull at the buzzer, then pulled away in the final minute of overtime.

Llull had five of the 20 threes scored by the hosts, guard Jaycee Carroll leading Madrid with 24 points, two more than Llull.

The Thunder made their fourth Western Conference finals appearance in six years last season but Durant, who played eight seasons in Oklahoma, left in July to join the Golden State Warriors as a free agent.

Serge Ibaka also departed in a trade to the Orlando Magic on draft night, leaving Russell in charge of leading a group of new faces.

Oladipo, a sharpshooting guard, seemed to fit in nicely in his new team, doing a good job controlling the game along with Russell. Oladipo finished 14 for 24 from the field.

He was one of the players traded for Ibaka, along with forward Ersan Ilyasova and draft pick Domantas Sabonis, a move intended to improve the team's depth and shore up its inconsistent shooting guard position.

Russell, now the team's lone star, played only in the first and third quarters and finished 7 for 14 from the field.


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Source: AAP



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