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Thunder in Westbrook’s hands as Durant mends

Alan Draper profile picture
Sports Editor
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Kevin Durant will not rush back from surgery to repair a Jones Fracture in his right foot.

“I’m not going to rush,” Durant said.

Durant could miss two months with the Oklahoma City Thunder, projecting his return close to Christmas from what the reigning MVP said is his first real injury.

Surgeons placed a screw in Durant’s right foot to promote healing. The surgery is not always necessary, but Durant opted after consulting several doctors to have the corrective procedure.

“It’s something that’s definitely going to help my foot and make it better in the long run,” Durant said.

Oklahoma City played several weeks to start last season without point guard Russell Westbrook, who was coming back from surgery. Upon his return, he learned in late December he needed another procedure.

This time, it’s Westbrook’s turn to go it alone as he waits for his co-star to mend.

“It’s not about me. It’s about our team. I can’t win games by myself. I can’t do anything by myself,” Westbrook said last week. “I kind of want to take the attention off me and put it more on the team. Everybody keeps asking what I’m going to do and how I’m going to change. I think it’s more about our team and what we can do.”

Durant said he had a heart-to-heart conversation with Westbrook to encourage the All-Star to take the reins of the team.

“Stay who you are,” Durant said. “You may get more opportunities but you don’t have to change what you do.”

Alan is an expert gambling writer who works as one of the chief editors for Basketball Insiders. He has been covering online gambling and sports betting for over 8 years, having written for the likes of Sportlens, Compare.bet, The Sports Daily, 90min, and TopRatedCasinos.co.uk. His particular specialisms include US online casinos and gambling regulations, and soccer and basketball betting. Based in London, Alan holds an MA in English Literature and is a passionate supporter of Chelsea FC.

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