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OKLAHOMA CITY — Russell Westbrook wouldn't say he wanted payback against Patrick Beverley. His play said otherwise. During last year's playoffs, Beverley dived for the ball and ran into Westbrook's right knee as a timeout was being called, causing the injury that ended Westbrook's season and cost him about half of this season. In their first meeting since the incident, Westbrook had 24 points, seven assists and four steals to help the Oklahoma City Thunder defeat the Houston Rockets 106-98 on Tuesday night....

He recently got back from his trip, and spoke with The Athletic’s Anthony Slater about his trip. One of the questions was about how Durant viewed the country, and some of his comments were viewed as critical by people who live there. Here’s what Durant said: His comments made headlines in The Indian Express, and the Financial Express, which claimed the NBA All-Star said “nasty things about India.” These articles, among others, spread across social media and sparked a bit of an outrage towards the NBA Finals MVP....

The first step towards seeing this trio in action: Durant getting healthy. On Jan. 16, the Nets announced that an MRI revealed a sprained medial collateral ligament (MCL) of Durant’s left knee, giving him a timeline of four-to-six weeks of rehab and recovery. When will Durant return? Here’s the latest on what we know about his injury. NBA LEAGUE PASS: Sign up to unlock live out-of-market games (7-day free trial)...

Once marketed toward the younger generation, Durant’s signature shoe has evolved into a performance monster. Nike’s popular Flyknit technology graces a Durant sneaker for the very first time, and a brand new full-length Zoom Air bag three years in the making has created one of the most comfortable rides yet. MORE: Ranking KD and the top 22 free agents who aren’t as good “I just wanted a shoe that would keep me stable and kind of keep me mobile,” Durant said, when discussing the transition from the KD8 to the 9....

Warriors star Durant confirmed on Instagram on Wednesday he had undergone successful surgery, having torn his Achilles in Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Raptors earlier this week. The 30-year-old, a 10-time All-Star who was named Finals MVP in both of the Warriors’ championship victories in 2017 and 2018, was making his comeback from a calf problem he sustained against the Rockets last month, and former MVP Charles Barkley was among those to criticize the Warriors for rushing Durant back....

With that experience still fresh in his mind, Durant told USAToday’s Sam Amick’s that he plans to join USA Basketball for the 2016 Olympics ( Via ProBasketballTalk ). Durant said he will join USA Basketball in Rio for the Olympics in 2016, which will be his free-agent summer. Players such as Kevin Love have held off Team USA obligations because of unsettled team situations, and Durant could end up doing the same in the long run....

With a month to spare before training camp, Nets general manager Sean Marks released a statement that the franchise and the superstar will move forward together, the resolution stemming from a meeting held between Durant, his management and Nets brass. For nearly two months, Durant’s request dominated the news cycle and caused a pause in the NBA world, with transactions freezing to a halt as teams waited for the superstar-sized domino to fall....

“[Kevin Durant] may be the best player in the world,” ESPN analyst Paul Pierce said after Game 2 of last year’s Finals. “I mean, we’re on the final stage. LeBron is giving you good numbers. What can’t [Durant] do? What can’t he do on the court?” Flash forward to Wednesday night’s Game 3, and guess who did it again? In a game in which Stephen Curry struggled mightily from the floor (11 points on 3-16 shooting, 1-10 from 3-point range), Durant was simply spectacular....

Harvick will start 33rd Sunday in the opening race of the third round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup when the Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500 goes green. Martinsville: Sunday’s starting lineup breakdown | Chase drivers wary of payback The Stewart-Haas Racing driver has eight poles and 22 top-10 starts but enters Sunday with his worst starting position in a non-restrictor-plate race. “We just missed it,” Harvick said. “We were way too loose....

It all started when NASCAR fan Louise Groomer tweeted to Harvick “Please, will you follow me?” MORE: Junior hooked on eBay | Junior most popular — again | Stewart’s plan for Daytona | Danica and Ricky Harvick, who was flying to Las Vegas on Tuesday night with his wife and business manager, was bored at the time. He’ll pick up the story from there: “You run out of things to talk about pretty fast,” Harvick said about the long flight....

Seven questions into the postgame press conference, a reporter finally asked Love about the left shoulder. Love took a hit late in the third quarter of Cleveland’s 108-89 win against the Toronto Raptors in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals. Love said he was good and that James and Kyrie Irving were giving him a hard time. MORE: Five crazy numbers from Cleveland’s postseason dominance “Elaborate,” James said while holding back a laugh....

And while this looked good, it was obvious Love would not wear the number when he joined the Cavaliers, because No. 42 is retired for Nate Thurmond. MORE: LeBron welcomes Love | Love trade goes official | 76ers win in Love trade It appears that Love will wear No. 0 when he hits the basketball court for the Cavaliers, as ProBasketballTalk noticed. Love merchandise was made available in the number as soon as the deal went official, but it also was provided in the press release, hinting that this could be more of a long-term deal....

The unemployed wide receiver was signed to the Jets’ practice squad Tuesday, just six weeks after he stood outside the Texans’ stadium for a few days with a sign asking for an NFL job. MORE: Jets sneaking back up power rankings | Free agency: 5 fits for RGIII Anderson was originally signed by the Bears as an undrafted free agent out of Texas Southern in 2012. He played in nine games with Chicago before his 2013 season ended with an abdominal and groin injury that landed him on injured reserve....

A Twitter account linked to the anti-fascist group Hayalim Almonim—Hebrew for Anonymous Soldiers—boasted about how the website of The Patriotic Brigade of the KKK “has been exposed” on January 30. The Klan331.com website, which previously contained a number of racist and anti-Semitic hate material, has now been entirely altered. The site, which had its URL changed to jewishantifa.com, reveals the names of several people who are allegedly members of the KKK....

In the first attack, two cars packed with explosives were driven towards the Balegdole air base before being detonated at its gates. Bursts of gunfire then followed as jihadists tried to breach the base. Al-Shabab, Somalia’s Al-Qaeda-linked insurgent group, said it was responsible for the attack in a statement and claimed its fighters had been successful in entering the base. “After breaching the perimeters of the heavily fortified base, the mujahideen [holy warriors] stormed the military complex, engaging the crusaders in an intense firefight,” the statement said....

The project made him a pariah within the game but also a trailblazer for authors who followed with similar works. Bouton died Wednesday at age 80 from a brain condition related to dementia, the New York Daily News reported. He had been in hospice care. MORE: Notable sports deaths of 2019 Bouton’s major league career got off to an ideal start. The kid with the extreme overhand arm motion who regularly knocked his cap off his head was in the World Series with the Yankees each of his first three big league seasons (1962-64)....

Kareem Walker, the country’s No. 1 running back prospect according to 247sports.com, committed to Michigan on Thursday, turning down the likes of Alabama, Auburn and Florida State to play for Harbaugh. MORE: SN’s All-America team | Best of the bowls “It wasn’t an easy decision, I was up until about 1:30 this morning,” Walker said (via MLive.com). “It was hard.” Walker rushed for 4,563 yards and 55 touchdowns in his prep career, per MaxPreps....

The program took another step this year, going undefeated in the regular season and comfortably making the playoff. But a 51-45 Fiesta Bowl loss to TCU in the national semifinals puts Harbaugh under fresh scrutiny heading into 2023. The loss also meant Harbaugh’s bowl record took yet another hit. The longtime coach’s postseason struggles were well-documented coming in, and now they’ll continue to be a storyline. MORE: Watch the College Football Playoff live with fuboTV (free trial)...

Grumbling continues to grow in the San Francisco 49ers locker room, according to NFL.com’s Marc Sesser. Before Week 4 games began, the Niners’ clash with the Philadelphia Eagles among them, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport took to the air about criticism and doubts about Harbaugh. MORE: NFL’s Week 4 Sunday games | Track live | David Steele on Eagles-Niners It’s nothing new about a polarizing but successful coach. “The same thing I was hearing last year is the same thing I was hearing as the season was starting — the same thing I’m hearing now,” Rapoport told NFL Media’s Rich Eisen....

The Michigan coach used satellite camps last summer to recruit across the country, especially in the Southeast. Basically, coaches cannot own a camp that’s not on campus or within their own facilities. MORE: We rank the top 20 college football states “The incompetence of the NCAA has reared its ugly head yet again,” Harbaugh told Sports Illustrated on Tuesday. “I mean, what’s it based on? A survey? There wasn’t a lot of discussion or study....