Oklahoma City Thunder vs Sacramento Kings
When: 9:00 PM  ET, Sunday, January 15, 2017
Where: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, California

TV: 9 p.m. ET, FSN Oklahoma, CSN California (Sacramento)
PREDICTION: Thunder 106, Kings 104

Oddsmakers currently have the SACRAMENTO listed as 1.5 point favorites versus the OKLAHOMA CITY, while the game’s total is sitting at 213.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Now that Magic Johnson is behind him — again — Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook can set his triple-double vision on Wilt Chamberlain.

He’d rather put his immediate focus on getting his team back to its winning ways.

In Sacramento, finding a winning way has been a challenge going on for a decade.

The teams take the Golden 1 Center court for the second time in six weeks on Sunday night, and they’ve both been a bit up and down since they last saw one another. Both will be playing after ugly losses.

The Thunder (24-17) saw their three-game winning streak end in a sea of lousy shooting and even worse ball-handling in a loss at Minnesota on Friday night. The performance took such considerable glow off Westbrook’s 19th triple-double of the season that the NBA’s most-prolific triple-double performer since the ABA merger told reporters his achievement “don’t mean (expletive).”

The Kings (16-23) were plagued with turnovers, too, as well as another awful start and lost for the fifth time in their past six home games. They are 1-4 on a seven-game homestand and 2-6 since a season-best four-game winning streak last month.

One thing the teams have in common: They aren’t protecting the ball.

Sacramento turned it over nine times in the first quarter and 21 overall in a 120-108 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday. Oklahoma City had 19 turnovers and the Minnesota Timberwolves turned them into 33 points in a 96-86 victory on Friday.

“It happens like that,” Westbrook said. “Nights like that, you got to ready and move on to the next one.”

Sacramento’s slow start against Cleveland was nothing unusual. The Kings have fallen behind by double digits in the first half in three of their past four home losses.

“With our starts, we need to be as amped up as we can to have some energy before games,” Kings guard Garrett Temple said. “We’ve got to come out and execute the game plan, no matter what it is.”

The Thunder loss ended a streak that started after a three-game skid, the team’s only blip in a 16-9 stretch that started immediately after they dropped a 116-101 decision at Sacramento on Nov. 23.

Westbrook fell one assist shy of putting up a triple-double in that one, scoring 31 points to go with 11 rebounds and nine assists. Sacramento harassed him into 7-of-18 shooting from the floor and three turnovers. He also fell a rebound shy of posting a triple-double in each of Oklahoma City’s victories during its winning streak.

In all, Westbrook has triple-doubled in 46 percent of Oklahoma City’s games. The 19 match his total from 80 games last season.

No player has surpassed that mark since the NBA absorbed four teams after the ABA collapsed in 1976. Johnson had 18 in 1982-83, a record that stood for 32 seasons until Westbrook broke it last year in his 80th game.

Chamberlain had 31 for the Philadelphia 76ers in 1967-68 before the NBA-ABA merger.

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Oklahoma City Thunder vs Minnesota Timberwolves
When: 8:00 PM  ET, Friday, January 13, 2017
Where: Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota

TV: 8 p.m. ET, FSN Oklahoma, FSN North (Minnesota)
PREDICTION: Thunder 114, Timberwolves 107

MINNEAPOLIS — A tough four-game homestand for the Minnesota Timberwolves included the defensive-minded Utah Jazz, followed by a slight reprieve against the Dallas Mavericks before Minnesota was scheduled to host the top triple-double men in the NBA, James Harden and Russell Westbrook.

The Timberwolves kept Harden from a triple-double and, most importantly, beat the Houston Rockets on Wednesday. On Friday they will host Oklahoma City and Westbrook for the first time this season.

Minnesota hopes it can take what it learned against Harden and the Rockets and apply it Friday. The Timberwolves let a lead slip away against Houston before recovering and extending the advantage in the fourth quarter.

“We learned from our mistakes,” Minnesota center Karl-Anthony Towns said. “We did a great job of staying disciplined. It was just a great game. Games like this, I can finally smile again. It was good to see us get the lead and keep building on it.”

Towns posted his ninth straight double-double with 23 points and 18 rebounds. Ricky Rubio had 10 points and tied his career high and a franchise best with 17 assists. His steady play has helped the Timberwolves (13-26) maintain composure in the second half in back-to-back wins.

Andrew Wiggins scored 28 points for Minnesota and took the defensive responsibility against Harden, who had 33 points, six rebounds and 12 assists. In defending Harden, the Timberwolves might have a blueprint for trying to limit Westbrook.

“I thought overall, you’re not going to be able to stop a guy like that, you have to make him work and I thought our guys did that,” Minnesota coach Tom Thibodeau said about defending Harden. “Wiggins battled him the whole night and I thought him and Karl set the tone for us, and I thought they played very unselfishly.”

Rubio will likely draw the assignment on Westbrook, who had his 18th triple-double on Wednesday in a win against Memphis. Westbrook tallied 24 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists. His 18 triple-doubles are the most by any player since Magic Johnson during the 1981-82 season.

“I just read the game,” Westbrook said. “You have to read it. Make plays and take what the defense gives you.”

Westbrook has led the Thunder (24-16) to two wins against Minnesota this season in Oklahoma City. He had 28 points, eight assists, six rebounds and three steals in a 112-92 victory in November and followed with 31 points, 15 assists and seven rebounds in a 112-100 win on Christmas Day.

As big in those games was the play of reserve Enes Kanter. He averaged 20 points and seven rebounds in the two games. Kanter has become a valuable player for the Thunder, who have won three straight games. Kanter had 19 points and 13 rebounds on Wednesday.

“He’s made a lot of strides,” Oklahoma City coach Billy Donovan said. “He’s done a better job. I think the one thing I’ve tried to discuss with Enes, you never want to get into a situation where you are taken off the floor because of your defense.”

The Timberwolves could be without starting shooting guard Zach LaVine for a second straight game. He is listed as questionable with a left hip contusion. LaVine leads the NBA in minutes per game and is averaging 20.4 points per game.

Without LaVine on Wednesday, Brandon Rush started and contributed a season-high 12 points on four 3-pointers, and had three steals and two blocks. Shabazz Muhammad added 20 points off the bench.

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Memphis Grizzlies vs Oklahoma City Thunder
When: 8:00 PM ET, Wednesday, January 11, 2017
Where: Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN
PREDICTION: Thunder 103, Grizzlies 99

OKLAHOMA CITY — It seems like every team in the NBA that is a legitimate title contender has some sort of “Big Three” in their lineup. From Golden State to Cleveland, offenses revolve around the scoring of their trios or foursomes in some instances.

Yet, for most of this season, Oklahoma City has pretty much been a “Big One.” In many cases, Russell Westbrook has been the first, second and last option for the Thunder.

But lately, Oklahoma City has been building the foundation for their own really “Big Three.” Along with Westbrook, centers Steven Adams and Enes Kanter are becoming more consistent offensive weapons as the Thunder enter Wednesday’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Against Chicago on Monday, the two centers combined for 42 points and 16 rebounds. They shot 20 of 25 from the field as the Thunder earned an easy 109-94 victory. In Oklahoma City’s win over Denver, Kanter and Adams tallied 30 points and 12 boards.

Kanter and Adams’ emergence has given Oklahoma City more options to run its offense through instead of always having Westbrook initiate the plays.

“It makes it easier for everybody,” Thunder guard Andre Roberson said. “That’s what we try to do all along or with Russ. Try to put two on the ball and find the open man. That’s how the game is played. They do a good job of passing out of the double team and taking advantage of it.”

Westbrook will still overwhelmingly dominate the action offensively for the Thunder. But now, he at least is gaining trust that he doesn’t have to do it by himself.

“My hand is always on the game,” Westbrook said. “I just pick my spots and see what’s open and what’s not.”

When the Thunder (23-16) face the Grizzlies (24-16) at the Chesapeake Energy Arena, they will be taking on a squad that may be one of the few teams in the league built to battle them. With Mike Conley at point guard and Marc Gasol at center and Zach Randolph coming off the bench, they have a similar “Big Three” makeup.

But that wasn’t the case earlier in the year. With Randolph coming off the bench for the first time, he has had to get adjusted to his new role.

But recent success against Golden State and Utah may mean more playing time together for Randolph and Gasol.

“I think teams are happy with the way we’re playing, taking pressure off of them honestly,” Randolph told ESPN. “Some guys told me on that other teams: ‘Shoot, we’re happy y’all guys aren’t playing together anymore. It gives us a break.’ It’s already been proven. We’ve done proved enough and showed it. I think that’s not the question. It’s just coach wanting to play different and do a different style.”

When the Grizzlies beat the Thunder Dec. 29 in their only other matchup so far this season, there were some pretty upset players in the Oklahoma City locker room when it was over. It revolved around reserve guard Troy Daniels heaving up a couple of late 3-pointers in the final seconds the 114-80 contest. It’s something Roberson has not forgotten.

“At the end of that game I felt we got disrespected in a way,” Roberson said. “They were launching 3s at the end. I didn’t take that too kindly. It leaves a taste in your mouth after the game to be honest with you. We remember that.”

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Denver Nuggets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
When: 8:00 PM ET, Saturday, January 7, 2017
Where: Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

TV: 8 p.m. Altitude (Denver), FSN Oklahoma
PREDICTION: Thunder 126, Nuggets 104

Oddsmakers currently have the Thunder listed as 7-point favorites versus the Nuggets, while the game’s total is sitting at 221.

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma City Thunder ended 2016 with one of their best and easiest wins of the year. In the New Years Eve game, they thrashed the L.A. Clippers to sprint into 2017 with high optimism.

Since then, the Thunder found a rough patch with losses in three straight games, all on the road. That includes a 118-116 nail biter to Houston Thursday.

Oklahoma City doesn’t seem to be extremely worried about the streak. Most likely because each of the defeats were close games down the stretch in the fourth quarter that they could have won.

“Oh yeah, we’re gonna be alright,” Victor Oladipo said to ESPN.com. “We’re gonna be just fine. We just got to keep getting better.”

The losing streak could have come to an end in Houston if Russell Westbrook had been able to connect on a 3-pointer he took over James Harden with five seconds left and the game tied at 116-116.

“I thought it was going to go in,” Thunder coach Billy Donovan told NBA.com. “It was right on line. He had his balance, he had his legs under him and it hit the back of the rim.”

On one hand, Donovan had every right to believe the shot was going in. Westbrook leads the NBA in clutch points with 138. No one else in the league has over a 100.

However, Westbrook is also 2 of 18 on go-ahead 3-pointers in the final 10 seconds during his career. That includes 0-for-6 this season. The latter will not stop Westbrook from attempting them.

The Thunder return home the Chesapeake Energy Arena to take on the Denver Nuggets on Saturday for the first of only three games in Oklahoma City month. It is also the perfect opportunity to end the three-game skid.

The Nuggets are also mired in a losing streak. Theirs is four games long and stretches back to Dec. 30.

In each of the last four defeats, Denver’s opponents scored at least 120 points. That includes 127 by both the Golden State Warriors and the San Antonio Spurs.

The defensive struggles have been a focal point for Nuggets coach Michael Malone.

“We can’t be a team that just relies on their offense to pick up our defense,” Malone told The Denver Post. “We have to pick up our defense every night regardless of whether we’re making shots or not.”

If the Nuggets do not reign in their defense Saturday, they will find themselves trying to outscore Westbrook, who leads the league in scoring. But it’s his supporting cast on which Denver will need to focus.

When the two teams met Nov. 26 in Denver, Oklahoma City pulled out a 132-129 victory. While Westbrook had a triple double, five other players scored more than 10 points.

The Nuggets need to find a way to limit the rest of the Thunder while not letting Westbrook overwhelm them. It’s the type of challenge Malone is looking to see if his team will accept.

“In this league you can’t let go. You’ve got to bend, not break,” Malone told The Denver Post. “We have to get that fight back for four quarters for us to be a competitive team.”

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A Thunder spokesman confirmed the move in a text message.

Payne fractured a bone in his right foot during the Blue-White Scrimmage in September, before the preseason. He had previously broken the bone and had surgery in July. He elected not to have surgery again.

Payne played two games with the Thunder’s Development League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue, this week. He scored 14 points Tuesday against Salt Lake City and 22 points Thursday against Reno.

Payne, a first-round pick in 2015, averaged 5.0 points, 1.9 assists and 1.5 rebounds in 57 games during his rookie season as a backup to Russell Westbrook. He also was known for his pregame dance routine with Westbrook.

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Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Charlotte Hornets
When: 7:00 PM ET, Wednesday, January 4, 2017
Where: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, North Carolina

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN Oklahoma, FSN Southeast (Charlotte)
PREDICTION: Thunder 103, Hornets 101

The basketball world knows what Russell Westbrook has accomplished this season. The MVP front-runner has carried the Oklahoma City Thunder after the departure of Kevin Durant to Golden State, and he continues to record one triple-double after another.

About 1,100 miles to the east, Charlotte’s Kemba Walker is quietly putting together a solid season on offense for the Hornets, and he is making a strong case to be an Eastern Conference All-Star.

The two will go head-to-head on Wednesday at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C., when the Hornets (19-16) host the Thunder (21-14) in what is expected to be a high-scoring affair.

The Thunder enter the game 6-4 in their past 10 games while the Hornets are 5-5.

In a 118-111 loss to Chicago on Monday, Walker led Charlotte with 34 points and 11 rebounds — his fifth double-double of the season. He has scored a combined 71 points over the past two games, shooting a sizzling 63.4 percent.

The Thunder also took it on the chin against Giannis Antetokounmpo and Milwaukee and lost 98-94 in the first of three straight road games.

The Bucks made life difficult for Westbrook, who scored 30 points — the 30th time he’s reached that mark this season. He struggled from the field, making 9 of 28 field-goal attempts. He started off 6-for-11 but went 0-for-8 in the third quarter when the Bucks took their first lead.

Westbrook was clearly frustrated after the game, sitting in front of his locker, arms folded.

“I thought he had some good decent 3-point shots, I thought he had some good pull-up shots,” Thunder coach Billy Donovan told the Daily Oklahoman. “Those are shots Russell practices every day. It’s shots he’s worked on. It’s shots that’s made him the player he is. A lot of his shots were shots he’s more than capable of making.”

Like every offensive star, Westbrook has a short memory and he should be emboldened by the fact that the Hornets allowed Chicago guard Jimmy Butler to score 52 points on Monday.

“Our defense is soft,” Hornets coach Steve Clifford said after the game. “We can’t just pick and choose when to play it.”

If they do, Westbrook is sure to take advantage. He’s been a triple-double machine this season, recording a league best 16 while leading the Thunder with 30.9 points per game.

Hornets guard Michael Kidd-Gilchrist draws the assignment to try to stop, or at least slow down Westbrook.

Clifford has his own scoring machine.

In his sixth season, Walker has become the team leader and offensive force many predicted when he came out of Connecticut. On Monday, he sparked an 8-1 Charlotte run to start the second half against the Bulls. The Hornets built an eight-point lead and then a familiar disaster struck — the fourth quarter.

“It’s been our problem for the last couple of games and the last couple of weeks,” said forward Nicolas Batum, who leads the Hornets with 7.6 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game. “We just stop scoring and stop making plays. It was another big loss for us.”

The Hornets will be without center Cody Zeller, who entered the league’s concussion protocol on Monday. The team said in a statement that Zeller was struck by an elbow in Saturday’s loss to Cleveland. There is no timetable for his return.

Zeller is averaging 10.7 points and 6.2 rebounds.

The Hornets also will be without sixth man Marco Belinelli (11 ppg), who has missed several games with a sprained ankle.

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Oklahoma City Thunder vs Atlanta Hawks
When: 7:30 PM ET, Monday, December 5, 2016
Where: Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FSN Oklahoma, FSN Southeast (Atlanta)
PREDICTION: Thunder 105, Hawks 103

As usual, everything revolves around guard Russell Westbrook, who has matched the winning streak with five straight triple-doubles – the longest such run in the NBA since Michael Jordan recorded seven in a row in 1989. The Hawks are trending in the other direction with six consecutive losses, their longest slide since March 2014. The last two setbacks have come by an average of 40 points as Atlanta has fallen to 1-9 in its last 10 games, but the players are trying to maintain some perspective. “We just have to stop getting frustrated with each other,” center Dwight Howard told reporters. “I think we got a little frustrated at times on the floor, and it showed. I think we need to do a little better job holding our composure and understand that it won’t be like this the whole season.”

ABOUT THE THUNDER (13-8): In addition to his 28 points, 17 rebounds and 12 assists on Sunday, Westbrook committed 10 turnovers to tie a season high. He was able to do a little more work on the boards than usual when center Steven Adams – the team’s second-leading rebounder – left the game with an ankle sprain that has his status in doubt for Monday. Shooting guard Victor Oladipo, who scored 16 points against the Pelicans, will be trying to improve upon his 28.9 percent mark from 3-point range on the road.

ABOUT THE HAWKS (10-11): Forward Paul Millsap has missed three straight games with a hip injury and is considered day-to-day, and his absence has been felt in a big way. Without its leading scorer (16.1 points), Atlanta has averaged 92 points on 42.3 percent shooting. Among the few bright spots has been shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr., who has averaged 15.7 points in 25.3 minutes off the bench during Millsap’s absence.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Oklahoma City is 0-3 in the second half of back-to-back sets on the road.

2. Howard has recorded three double-doubles in his last four games and ranks fourth in the NBA behind Westbrook and two others with 14.

3. The home team has won each of the last five meetings.

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TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FSN Oklahoma, MSG (New York)
PREDICTION: Thunder 110, Knicks 109

Point guards Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook, chosen first and fourth, respectively, in the 2008 draft, will renew acquaintances on Monday when the New York Knicks host the Oklahoma City Thunder at Madison Square Garden.

Rose’s Knicks (8-8) have won six straight at the Garden. Westbrook’s Thunder (10-8) are 4-3 on the road.

Oklahoma City comes in after a 106-88 win over the Detroit Pistons on Saturday when Westbrook posted 17 points, 15 assists and 13 rebounds for his second consecutive triple-double and seventh this season. It was also his 44th career triple-double, which ties him with Cleveland’s LeBron James. It took Westbrook 395 fewer games than James to achieve the milestone.

Westbrook passed Fat Lever in all-time triple doubles to move into sixth place all-time. The UCLA product had 18 games in which he was either one assist or one rebound short of a triple double.

Westbrook averaged 32 points against the Knicks in two games last season.

“He’s a Hall of Fame player,” Thunder coach Billy Donovan said of Westbrook. “I mean that’s really what he is. He’s a Hall of Fame player.”

While Westbrook is humming along in his ninth season with the Thunder, averaging 31 points, 11 assists and 9.9 rebounds, Rose continues to get acclimated in his first season as New York’s point guard. He’s averaging 15.9 points and five assists a game.

The Knicks have recently lacked a point guard with Rose’s ability to accelerate to the rim and bounce off the pick-and-roll for layups. His arrival in the Big Apple after an offseason trade with Chicago and the development of power forward Kristaps Porzingis have alleviated some of the scoring burden from Carmelo Anthony.

The 32-year-old forward, who has been the Knicks’ top scorer since he arrived in a 2011 trade from Denver, has been buoyed by Rose, who he invited over for Thanksgiving dinner.

“It’s an easy transition for me,” Anthony told Newsday. “I always wanted somebody or other guys who can do it for me. Sometimes you want to play the back end and do what you do from that aspect. You don’t always want to be in the driver’s seat.”

New York’s other big offseason acquisition, center Joakim Noah, who played with Rose in Chicago, has struggled. He missed two games with flu-like symptoms, but since his return against the Charlotte Hornets on Friday, Noah hasn’t provided much offense. Noah has scored in double-figures only once this season.

He played just 12 minutes in the 107-102 loss to Charlotte in the back-end of a home-and-home on Saturday and didn’t take a shot, posting his fourth scoreless game of the season. He sat out the fourth quarter as the Knicks staged a late comeback.

“Those are not things I can control,” Noah told the New York Post about being on the bench in the fourth quarter. “All I can control is my progress. I need to play better and I will. I just got to stay working. I need to play better and I will.”

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Houston Rockets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
When: 8:00 PM ET, Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Where: Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
TV: 8 p.m. ET, ROOT (Houston), FSN Oklahoma
PREDICTION: Rockets 122, Thunder 118

Oddsmakers currently have the Thunder listed as 2½-point favorites versus the Rockets, while the game’s total is sitting at 219.

OKLAHOMA CITY — After starting the season with a 6-1 record, the Oklahoma City Thunder were being looked at as the surprise team in the NBA. A week later, the Thunder are in a tailspin, riding a four-game losing streak.

That is the situation that awaits the Thunder (6-5) when they play host to the Houston Rockets (6-4) on Wednesday night at the Chesapeake Energy Arena.

The latest loss came Monday night when Thunder traveled to Detroit on the second night of a back-to-back. Near the end of the first quarter and the start of the second, Oklahoma City allowed the Pistons to go on a 23-6 run. It was an uphill battle from that point on, and Detroit emerged with a 104-88 victory.

“Defensively we started with really good energy,” Thunder coach Billy Donovan said. “In fairness to our guys, you can always expect on a back-to-back that you’re going to be a bit leg weary. Generally that’s going to affect your offense. Sometimes on back-to-backs you can’t put stock or onus on having a great offensive output, but you have to hang your hat on your defense.”

Oklahoma City’s defense is getting precipitately worse, but it hasn’t just been against teams such as the Golden State Warriors or Los Angeles Clippers.

The Thunder’s last two defeats came at the hands of the Orlando Magic and Detroit, clubs that rank in the bottom seven in the NBA in scoring. Each team managed to score over a 100 against the Thunder.

Oklahoma City Stats:
Team record: 6-5 SU,5-6 ATS
Current Streak: lost 4 straight games.
Oklahoma City is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Oklahoma City’s last 13 games
Oklahoma City is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games at home

“We’re one of the top teams in the league when we play defensively,” Thunder guard Russell Westbrook told The Oklahoman. “So I’m not really worried about who’s playing and who’s not.”

Having issues with defense, however, is not a good problem to have with the Rockets in town. Houston is 10th in the league in scoring at 107.8 points per game and fifth in 3-point shooting at 37 percent.

Houston has not had a problem putting up points this season. The Rockets are coming off a 115-88 plastering of the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday.

“I thought they came out with the right intensity, they came out the way they should have,” Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said. “We talked about it and came out in the second half the way we should have. That way we got some good rest. I saw a lot of good things.”

The Rockets might get even stronger Wednesday with the possible return of guard Patrick Beverley, who has been out since the preseason after undergoing left knee surgery.

Beverley and the Thunder have a history that goes back to when he crashed into Westbrook’s knee during the 2013 postseason. Westbrook ended up with a torn meniscus that cost him the rest of the postseason. Thunder fans catapulted Beverley to the top of their most hated list, which he has held onto since then.

Against the 76ers, Rockets guard James Harden posted 33 points, seven rebounds and nine assists. He is now one of only three players in history to average at least 30 points and 10 assists through 10 games. Harden was also named Western Conference Player of the Week.

Houston Stats:
Team record: 6-4 SU,6-4 ATS
Houston is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
Houston is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Houston’s last 6 games

However, Harden seems to be more focused on making sure his team plays the right way.

“We’re getting better game by game, and defensively we’re getting better and offensively has been better, too,” Harden told ESPN.com. “We take it one game at a time. These next three games will be extremely tough; we’ll be all right as long as we continue to do the things we’ve been working on.”

Asked his assessment of the Thunder in the wake of Kevin Durant exit in free agency, Harden said, “It’s Russ. It’s Russ, and it’s a one-man show.”

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When asked whether Durant was being shut down for the season, Presti said, “Essentially, that’s the direction we’re headed right now.”

Durant was held out of practice Thursday as he was “experiencing a little bit of soreness,” Thunder coach Scott Brooks said Thursday.

Durant underwent surgery Feb. 23 to attempt to alleviate soreness and discomfort in his right foot that was being caused by a screw inserted in October during a procedure to repair a Jones fracture. After the second procedure, Durant was re-evaluated after a week, then re-evaluated again after another week, at which point Brooks updated the player’s timetable to a “week or two.”

“The goal is to get him back on the court healthy, whenever that is,” Presti said Friday.

Durant had intensified his on-court workouts in the past couple of weeks, returning Saturday to participate in parts of practice, including some 3-on-3. But the soreness that plagued him before the All-Star break and pushed him toward the second surgery has not been resolved yet.

Up until Thursday, Durant has been said to be progressing well and on the right track.

“Unless he’s able to be back on the floor without soreness, he won’t be back on the floor,” Presti said.

The reigning league MVP, Durant is averaging 25.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 27 games this season.

Reacting to the news, Westgate SuperBook on Friday moved the Thunder’s odds to win the NBA title from 8-1 to 20-1. On Monday, Oklahoma City, along with San Antonio, had the second-best odds in the West, behind only Golden State.

Oklahoma City beat Eastern Conference-leading Atlanta on Friday night, 123-115, to move to 39-30.

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