BARCELONA, Spain — Forward Enes Kanter scored 24 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat Barcelona 92-89 on Wednesday for their first win after the departure of star forward Kevin Durant.
Kanter drove for a lay-up with a minute to play to put the Thunder ahead for good to conclude their preseason trip to Spain on a high note after Monday’s loss at Real Madrid.
Just like against Madrid, Thunder Coach Billy Donovan limited point guard Russell Westbrook to the first and third quarters. He finished with 12 points and five assists in 21 minutes.
New backcourt partner Victor Oladipo added 10 points, but again struggled from behind the 3-point arc.
The former Orlando Magic guard has made two of 11 3-point attempts in his two matches with his new team.
While Oladipo can’t come close to matching Durant’s shooting touch, Westbrook highlighted the other qualities that Oladipo brings.
“He brings athleticism, his speed. Defensively he can do big things,” Westbrook said. “It is doing to be a learning process for both of us, but we will figure it out.”
Former Cavs coach David Blatt has accepted a championship ring from the team despite being fired last season.
Blatt was dismissed midway through his second season by Cleveland.
The Cavs were 30-11 at the time he was replaced by assistant Tyronn Lue, who guided the Cavs to an historic comeback in the finals to capture the first major sports championship by a Cleveland team since 1964.
Blatt told Israel-based reporter David Pick that he accepted the ring from the Cavs “because they presented it to me in a way that was very respectful.” He said the Cavs told him that he contributed to the championship.
One of Europe’s most celebrated coaches before he was hired in Cleveland, Blatt, now coaching in Turkey, went 83-40 in his tenure with the Cavs.
PISTONS: The left knee tendinitis bothering point guard Reggie Jackson will keep him out for a while.
“The tendinitis is a problem that keeps recurring,” Coach Stan Van Gundy said. “At the most, we would be talking a 6-to-8-week thing.”
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