laced United after 29 games and striker A

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OKLAHOMA CITY - For the first time, the Oklahoma City Thunder will be forced to play without Kevin Durant for more than a handful of games.The team announced Sunday that the leagues reigning MVP would be out for an undetermined length of time with a fracture in his right foot, at the base of the small toe. Typically, the injury requires surgery and six to eight weeks of healing.The Thunder havent officially determined whats next, although general manager Sam Presti said surgery would be likely.The Thunder will play without Durant on Tuesday night in a preseason game against Memphis.No ones feeling sorry for us, Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks said. I can honestly say I did not receive any text messages from coaches around the league looking to postpone the season.Opponents have seen more than enough of Durant. Since he entered the league in 2007, he leads the league in points and minutes played. He has missed just 16 regular season games in his seven-year career and has never missed more than eight games in a season.His longest absence was a seven-game stretch during the 2008-09 season because of a sprained right ankle. He missed one game last season, one game the season before, played in all 82 games during the 2009-10 season and all 66 games during the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season.When you look at Kevin, you see all the great offence of abilities and leadership qualities, but you never really think about the toughness, for him to be able to play all those years and play just about every game at a high level, and he continues to get back up, Brooks said.Point guard Russell Westbrook, who has missed significant time the past two years with a knee injury, admires how durable Durant has been over the years.Very, very impressive, Westbrook said. Hes probably one of the hardest working guys Ive seen. He comes in every day and does what hes supposed to do. He doesnt take days off in practice. He tries to compete every day. Its definitely unfortunate, but hes a strong guy mentally and physically, and hell get back to his better form.Brooks said Durant is struggling with the idea of missing games, even though its the preseason.Hes about as good as anybody can possibly be, Brooks said. One of the things I love about Kevin is he loves to play. He loves the game of basketball. Hes very passionate about it. Its not a hobby for him.Durant felt discomfort in the foot on Saturday and told the Thunder staff, leading to the diagnosis. Brooks said the injury could have been much worse if Durant had waited to get help.This is a minor, minor setback in the big scope of things, Brooks said. Hes going to come back in no time, and like I said, our goal is to be a better team when he gets back from where we are today without him.The injury puts more of the focus on Westbrook, an explosive scoring point guard who averaged 26.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 8.1 assists during last years playoffs. This season on media day, Brooks called Westbrook the best point guard in the NBA.Westbrook said his role wont change.Its not about me, its about our team, he said. I cant win games by myself. I cant do anything by myself, so I kind of want to take the attention off of me and put it on more of the team. Everybody keeps asking what Im going to do and how Im going to change. I think its more about our team, and what we can do to get better.Westbrook said while he fought through injuries, he learned a lot from the way Durant stepped his game up. With Westbrook sidelined after Christmas until the All-Star break last season, Durant took control of the MVP race by averaging 35 points, 7.5 rebounds and 6.3 assists while leading the Thunder to a 19-7 record.He did what he needed to do to help us win games, Westbrook said. He continued to have confidence in his teammates.___Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/CliffBruntAP Charlie Coyle Jersey . - No matter the lineup or location, the San Antonio Spurs are rolling through the NBA again this spring, just the way they have for most of the last two decades. Ryan Suter Jersey . -- Antoine Bibeau bought the Val-dOr Foreurs valuable time at the Memorial Cup with his 51-save shutout Friday. http://www.hockeywildauthority.com/customized-c-3/. DeGrom outpitched Jake Peavy in a tantalizing hitless duel that carried into the seventh inning Saturday night before the New York Mets broke loose and beat the San Francisco Giants 4-2. Mikael Granlund Jersey . No, the San Antonio star didnt announce retirement plans during an off day at the NBA Finals on Wednesday. Mike Reilly Jersey .Y. Islanders 4Winnipeg 5 Dallas 2Nashville 3 Colorado 0San Jose 5 Edmonton 2---AHLProvidence 5 St. Johns 4 (OT)Chicago 6 San Antonio 2---NBACleveland 105 Toronto 101Portland 98 Detroit 86New Orleans 104 New York 93Oklahoma City 114 Milwaukee 101Memphis 114 Dallas 105Miami 103 Phoenix 97Utah 100 San Antonio 96L.Sergio Aguero has admitted Manchester Citys title hopes are slipping through their fingers and they must now be wary of losing fourth spot to Manchester United. The bitter rivals clash at the Etihad, live on Sky Sports 1HD on Super Sunday, with City 12 points behind Premier League-leaders Leicester with nine games remaining.Yet just as significantly, City are only four points ahead of sixth-placed United after 29 games and striker Aguero insists they have to win to prevent a cataclysmic slide out of the Champions League places. We have to win even more so because the title is slipping further and further away and we have to make sure we take fourth place, the Argentina international said.We want the title, but we have to take into account that United are right behind us and it will be a tough game. We will have to play intensely.I think that over the last five years City have always competed hard in the derby. At one point United were huge and City have invested a lot of money to bring in qualiity players, and that has levelled the playing field.ddddddddddddBut I dont know what is happening at United. I focus on City and Sunday, and we are thinking about winning and nothing else.Aguero, who signed for City from Atletico Madrid in 2011 and signed a renewed five-year contract in 2014, said last week that he intends to finish his career at boyhood club Independiente.But he hopes to win the Champions League before he goes, most likely in 2019 when his current contract ends.You are born in one club as a kid and you always want to return to where you started. I have always said it, I will go back, he said.But right now I am thinking about winning the Champions League with Manchester City. We will see what happens in the future. Also See: Kompany blow as derby looms When is the CL quarter-final draw? Vault: City 2-3 United Otamendi targets derby return Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '