Friday Bolts: 8.11.17

The Thunder season opener and Christmas Day games were announced: “The Thunder’s first game of the season will be on Oct. 19, at home, against the New York Knicks. The game will start at 7 p.m. CT and be broadcast exclusively on TNT, as Chesapeake Energy Arena gets its first chance to rain down its usual level of raucous energy to celebrate the start of the team’s 10th season. Just over two months after getting its initial glimpse of the Russell Westbrook-Paul George All-Star duo in regular season action, Thunder fans will get another treat. For the eighth consecutive year, the Thunder will compete in a game on Christmas Day. In a rematch of last year’s first round Western Conference Playoffs series, the Thunder will host the Houston Rockets at Chesapeake Energy Arena.”

Patrick Patterson had surgery on his left knee: “Forward Patrick Patterson, one of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s free-agent additions this summer, had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Thursday, the team announced. He underwent the surgery in Los Angeles. He will be re-evaluated in four to six weeks, the team said. The Thunder are scheduled to begin training camp on Sept. 26.”

Kevin Durant discussed the new Thunder roster with Anthony Slater: “But they got Russ and PG and Steven Adams to be their Big 3. I think if they feed off each other, it could be great. I’m a fan of the game. So I can see if something is going to work or not and I think that’s going to be a really, really great pairing. It’s going to suck for us and the rest of the league. But as a fan of the game, it’s going to be tight to see how they work that thing out.”

Tim Bontemps spoke to Brett Dawson about the lingering shock factor around the Paul George trade: “I expected them to try to do something,” Dawson says on the latest episode of “Posting Up,” The Washington Post’s NBA podcast. “I think, like a lot of people, I looked at the roster and said, ‘I don’t know what the move is. I don’t know what they can move to get something really big in return.’ “But the thing I’ve learned in a year covering Sam Presti is you don’t see these things coming.”

Russell Westbrook has a style book releasing next month: “The stylish point guard will take to the stage Sept. 11 during New York Fashion Week. The Olympian will be talking up his new Rizzoli-backed book “Russell Westbrook: Style Drivers,” which is due out early next month. Westbrook teamed with artist Raymond Pettibon for the cover’s combo of sports and fine art. After brainstorming with Westbrook in March, Pettibon, an avid sports fans, wound up doing three different covers, the endpapers and chapter openers.”

Someone started a petition to get Steven Adams on Game of Thrones: And almost 500 people have already signed it.

Berry Tramel on Russ chasing Gary Payton as the top scorer in franchise history: “Westbrook would need a monster season to pass Durant in 2017-18. Westbrook trails Durant by 2,410 points. Westbrook scored 2,558 points last season while leading the league, but that figure probably will diminish this coming season, with Paul George coming to the rescue. But Westbrook almost certainly will surpass Payton, if Westbrook choose to re-sign with the Thunder.”

Russell Westbrook won “Oklahoma Sports Headliner of the Year”: “Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook is the winner of the Oklahoma Sports Headliner of the Year Award. Westbrook will receive the honor at the annual March of Dimes Oklahoma Sports Headliner Banquet on Friday, August 18.”

Sports Illustrated’s Lee Jenkins was on The Herd yesterday and discussed the Thunder: