HoopsHype.com Rumors

In 2008, the NBA's Seattle Supersonics left the Emerald City to become the Oklahoma City Thunder. They've since gone on to become one of the league's hottest young teams, powered by superstars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Seattle sports fans, meanwhile, have been left team-less, and many of them are still bitter over the move. You can count hit-making rapper Macklemore among the angry. Macklemore, a Seattle native, took to Twitter this week to express some beef over the Thunder using one of his songs as an in-arena pump-up jam. Mashable

Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant, Seattle SuperSonics, Russell Westbrook, Macklemore 

Durant on Monday was asked what he's learned about himself while playing without the injured Westbrook. “That we need him,” Durant said. “We miss him.” Durant entered Game 4 against Memphis averaging 34 points, 10.6 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.9 blocked shots in seven games without Westbrook, who recently underwent season-ending knee surgery. But the Thunder was 3-4 in those games. Oklahoman

Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook 

“Guys have got to step up now,” Durant said. “I think I've taken more of a load of scoring and facilitating and rebounding. But of course when you have your All-Star out we miss him. But it's no excuse. We still got to get the job done.” Oklahoman

Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook 

Robert Pera @Tony Allen: KD is going to be bringing everything he's got for the showdown in OKC. All eyes on Glove 2.0! Twitter

Memphis Grizzlies, Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant, Tony Allen, Robert Pera 

A day after Kevin Durant said Serge Ibaka's shooting struggles were all in his mind, Ibaka admitted that his confidence is waning. “Yeah,” Ibaka said. “It's normal, man. It's normal. A little bit. But that does not mean my confidence is way down because after all the shots I missed, after the (missed) dunk, I was still playing defense. I wanted to still help my teammates. I wanted to still try to be aggressive. But it's normal like he said. Of course, that happens to everybody.” Oklahoman

Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant, Serge Ibaka 

Some have said you and Serge have been asked to play a different role than you have been all year and it takes a little while to adjust to it. Kevin Martin: “Yeah, but we're fine. That's no excuse for us right now. We just have to do what we're supposed to do.” Oklahoman

Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant, Kevin Martin, Serge Ibaka 

A day after Kevin Durant said Serge Ibaka's shooting struggles were all in his mind, Ibaka admitted that his confidence is waning. “Yeah,” Ibaka said. “It's normal, man. It's normal. A little bit. But that does not mean my confidence is way down because after all the shots I missed, after the (missed) dunk, I was still playing defense. I wanted to still help my teammates. I wanted to still try to be aggressive. But it's normal like he said. Of course, that happens to everybody.” Oklahoman

Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant, Serge Ibaka 

Oklahoma City Thunder all-star Kevin Durant has overcome his fear of spider-ly lawsuits ... TMZ has learned his legal war over the nickname "Durantula" has finally come to an end. TMZ broke the story ... Durant was sued by former Public Enemy guitarist Mark Durante, who claimed he had trademarked the name and used it to sell merchandise long before KD came along. Durante wanted a judge to stop KD from using it. TMZ.com

Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant, Law 

But now it's all water under the bridge ... TMZ has learned that Durant and Durante have reached a private settlement and the lawsuit has been dismissed with prejudice ... meaning Durante can never file it again. TMZ.com

Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant, Law 

“I’ve said it before, when a guy has the ball and has to score like that it takes energy, and the more you make him work, that’s the best you can do,” Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins said. “You can’t stop Kevin Durant, he’s a great player, but he played 45, 46 minutes and he’s asked to carry a huge load for them. As the game goes on other people for them, they start taking the load away from him a little bit, but I don’t think that we can stop him. I’m not attributing it to us.” NBA.com

Memphis Grizzlies, Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant, Lionel Hollins 

"We have to get him confidence," Durant said of Ibaka. "We have to get him some shots and get him going. We can't let him put too much pressure on himself. It's all in his mind. If he thinks he's going to make those shots, he's going to make them. "He missed a few blocks, a few layups and a few open jump shots. I have to pick him up, and that's what I've been doing." ESPN.com

Memphis Grizzlies, Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant 

Royce Young: KD: "Of course everyone's going to panic because we lost the game, but that's not what we're going to do here." Twitter @dailythunder

Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant 

Kendrick Perkins: I'm sorry but in my eyes @Kevin Durant he should have been MVP. #squarebusiness Twitter @KendrickPerkins

Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant, Kendrick Perkins 

Royce Young: Hollins was asked why he didn't use Tony Allen on KD, like in years past: "That's a few years ago ... Durant's a few years older." Twitter @dailythunder

Memphis Grizzlies, Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant, Tony Allen 

Evans Clinchy: Mike Conley's take on the lack of an OKC timeout in the final seconds: "When you've got KD, I don't think it really matters." Twitter @evansclinchy

Memphis Grizzlies, Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant, Mike Conley 

Jeff Zillgitt: MVP in order: LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, James Harden, Russell Westbrook Twitter @JeffZillgitt

LeBron James, Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Tony Parker, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Tim Duncan 

Darnell Mayberry: Tayshaun Prince will start on Durant. Tony Allen will start on Thabo Sefolosha. But Allen expects to be on all OKC's perimeter players. Twitter @DarnellMayberry

Memphis Grizzlies, Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant, Tony Allen, Tayshaun Prince, Thabo Sefolosha 

The Houston Rockets obviously aren't all the way out of OKC's lives, given how intertwined these franchises will be for the foreseeable future after the late October blockbuster deal that made Harden a Rocket and the sideline rush from Houston's Patrick Beverley that left Westbrook with a season-ending knee injury. The Thunder were nonetheless thrilled late Friday night to finally get away from them, at least for the next few months, by scrapping to a 103-94 triumph at Toyota Center that ended a costly, agonizing series in six games. "I was starting to hate those guys," Kevin Durant admitted at the post-game podium, paying tribute to the Rockets' stubborn resilience but also revealing a measure of the tension that has built up over the past two weeks and, really, these last six months. "I was starting to hate every one of them guys on their team. That's what happens in a series ... I'm sure they felt the same way about us." ESPN.com

Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant, Patrick Beverley 

Jonathan Feigen: Great stuff from Durant: "They remind me of us from a few years back. They are going to be a force to be reckoned with for years to come." Twitter @Jonathan_Feigen

Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant 

Oklahoma City star Kevin Durant had a response for Royce White’s Twitter observation that he and the Thunder looked “Shaaakyy.” “Who’s he?” Durant said. When told that White is the Rockets rookie first-round pick from Iowa State, Durant seemed to remember. “I haven’t seen him on the bench,” Durant said. “He hasn’t played against us so I’m not worried about guys that’s not even in our series. Ain’t that the guy that can’t, that’s afraid to fly? I wish him the best. If I see him next year, I’ll let him know who we are.” Houston Chronicle

Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant, Royce White