Thunder Fall Short of Goal - East Idaho News
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Thunder Fall Short of Goal

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Getty S 042813 Thunder?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1368809200856Scott Halleran/Getty Images(OKLAHOMA CITY) — The Oklahoma City Thunder will watch the rest of the NBA playoffs from home after being bounced out by the Grizzlies on Tuesday night.

Kevin Durant did all he could do without All-Star guard Russell Westbrook, who suffered an Achilles injury in the first round against the Rockets.

Durant averaged 30.8 points per game in the playoffs and knows the team fell short of their goal of an NBA title. Still, he doesn’t look at the 60-win season as a waste.

“Nothing’s ever a wasted year for me. It’s basketball. I’ve grown so much as a man since the beginning of the season. I’ve grown so much as a leader. Nothing is ever wasted,” Durant said on Thursday.

“Of course, the ultimate goal in this league is to win a championship. But I’m never going to say I wasted a year. I’m blessed to even wake up and do something I love every day. So it’s never wasted,” Durant continued.

Things may have been different if Westbrook was healthy and able to play, but even he is not making any excuses.

“Injuries are a part of sports,” Westbrook said. “Stuff like this happened to different players through the year, and in this year’s playoffs as well. I think we had a great year. Sixty wins is great. It shows we’re getting better each and every year. Hopefully, next year we can take another step forward.”

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