Home > Other > Green out, Durant questionable for Thunder tonight against Celtics

Green out, Durant questionable for Thunder tonight against Celtics

The Thunder announced Jeff Green is out and Kevin Durant is questionable for tonight’s game in Boston because of ankle injuries. That’s six out of seven games Green has missed after spraining an ankle and then tweaking it Sunday against the Spurs. If Durant misses the Celtics game, it would be the first game he has missed since the spring of 2009.

That’s one reason why I wouldn’t worry too much about Durant missing the game, if I had to bet on it. If this is the same ankle injury he suffered that caused him to spend a little time on the floor Wednesday against the Rockets and slowly walk it off, then we know he’s already played on the ankle. But it could certainly have stiffened up after he cooled down following the game and the team took almost as lengthy an NBA flight the Thunder will have on the trip to Boston. (Side note: That’s an underrated lucky factor the Thunder has going for it. Oklahoma City’s central location means there aren’t many, if any, flights the team has to take that are longer than about three hours. Only a cross-country road trip would make them have an uncomfortably long journey, and trips like that don’t often show up on the NBA schedule.)

Serge Ibaka will surely start again for Green. It would be interesting to see what lineup and rotation changes Scott Brooks comes up with if Durant has to sit, although “interesting” is a relative term because I don’t know if Oklahoma City could compete with Boston on the road if Durant can’t play. James Harden would be a good bet to start at shooting guard with Thabo Sefolosha sliding over to small forward, or the two would act interchangeably depending on what the offensive and defensive sets called for. Maybe Oklahoma City would go small for a big portion of the game.

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Harden, Maynor and White going to see more playing time if Durant is out. I hope KD sits if not healed. Dont want to hurt it more

Can we call detroit and send Peterson, Dj White and maybe cook there for tayshaun Prince. that way we would go three deep at SF

just read the article by Mayberry, sounds like dude isn't going to be playing. I don't blame him, if he sits tonight and tomorrow, he can be healthy and ready to go for the t'wolves.

of course he will...duhhhhhhhhh

I'll be curious to see if Westbrook gets more time at the 2 than usual since Thabo will be getting the bulk of his minutes at the 3

Quick update: Darnell Mayberry says Durant is unlikely to play:

http://www.newsok.com/article/3516049

@DizzyDai
Not a bad rationale. I don't get to watch the Thunder often (out of state), so I'm hoping he guts it out since it's Boston and on ESPN. The team has played well with Durant absent in the past, but that's with a healthy Green.

@Greg

No. I want our scrubs to beat their starters. Plus I'd rather make sure KD is ready to go against the Bucks.

Ugh. This sucks with the Bucks BtB tomorrow. I want either a blow out loss or a win. A close loss would really suck; our guard rotation's gonna get a heavy load tonight, which means back to back losses is a very easy possibility.

DizzyDai :I kinda hope KD doesn’t play. I want to see what Brooks is going to do with the lineups.

So you want to lose...?

I kinda hope KD doesn't play. I want to see what Brooks is going to do with the lineups.

@Cpt. C-note

If you knew that the Thunder were going to lose, would you play him and risk an even greater injury? Or save him for tomorrow night against the Bucks?

I bet KD plays. I hope KD plays!

KD out? That's a huge chunk of the Thunder's defense. Wonder how they will do w/ him out against a tough team like the Celtics

KD cannot sit. It's like telling him to miss his free throws intentionally.

or maybe

Westbrook/Maynor
Harden/Ivey
Sefolosha
Ibaka/White
Krstic/Collison

Sammy :DJ White’s gonna get a lot of burn in this one.

Dangle that trade bait baby!

Westbrook/Maynor
Harden/Ivey
Sefolosha
Ibaka/Collison
Krstic/Aldrich

DJ White's gonna get a lot of burn in this one.