a Robson. The victory avenged Kvitovas secon | Forum

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The way Kevin Martin describes it, the Oklahoma City Thunder lost the "vision" of a potential championship run the morning they learned All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook would be out for the rest of the post-season. Air Max 90 Essential Trainers Black . Despite fighting to the end in a series of narrow losses to Memphis, the Thunders season -- which seemed so promising even when the playoffs began -- is over much sooner than expected following a five-game loss in the Western Conference semifinals. After making it to the NBA Finals a year earlier, Oklahoma City claimed the No. 1 seed in the West and was the favourite to make it back and challenge the Miami Heat for the title. And then? "We lost the guy that has the keys to our car," Martin said Thursday. The Thunders offence fizzled without Westbrooks scoring punch and ability to create shots for teammates. To make matters worse, they drew the Grizzlies and their league-best defence in the second round. Three-time scoring champion Kevin Durant tried to pick up the slack, but to no avail. "Lets face it, Russells really good. Hes not only one of the best point guards, hes one of best players in the league," coach Scott Brooks said. "He has earned that with all of the work he has put in. He has a great work ethic and a great attitude to improve every day, and his will to win is at the highest level. "We are a much better team -- theres no ands, ifs, buts about that. But were not an excuse team either." Right up until the end, the club believed it could overcome even Westbrooks injury, suffered in a chance collision with Houstons Patrick Beverley in Game 2 of the first round. But after winning the next game, Oklahoma City went 2-6 without Westbrook. "It ended too soon. Thats what Im going to say about the whole experience," Martin said. "I think the year, we set ourselves up to be Western Conference champions this year. Heading into the playoffs, we was playing such great basketball and then you have a fluke injury. You know thats part of sports but you never want to think its going to happen to you or your team. "I feel like thats how our season will be looked at now. Its more like a what if season." The Thunder won 60 games in the regular season and had the best record in the West for the first time since 1996, when the franchise was in Seattle. But all that was thrown out when Westbrook tore cartilage in his right knee during the collision with Beverley and needed surgery. Durant said hed still look back on the season for the good times spent with teammates and the opportunities for growth, not a simply a wasted year. "Im going to be who Im going to be. Im not Kobe Bryant, Im not Michael Jordan, not LeBron James, not Magic Johnson. Im me," Durant said. "Im not going to ever compromise myself or my integrity or what I believe in to win some basketball games or to win a championship. Thats just how I was brought up. "Im always going to fight for the game I love. Im going to claw until the last buzzer sounds. If thats after the championship, then of course Ill be happy. Im not satisfied just being in this league and losing." Durant ended up second in the NBA scoring race to New Yorks Carmelo Anthony but improved his efficiency, becoming one of a handful of players in league history to make at least 50 per cent of his field-goal attempts, 40 per cent of his 3-pointers and 90 per cent of his foul shots. After Westbrooks injury, Durant averaged 31.8 points, 9.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists. It still wasnt enough to lift his team. "You dont win championships ... You dont win playoff series or games with one or two guys. Its always about a team late in the season. Its always about a team in the playoffs," Durant said. "Were going to need everybody to step up, and I like the way we grew up as a unit." Some key decisions loom in the off-season for the franchise that traded eventual All-Star James Harden away at the end of training camp in a bid for financial flexibility under the salary cap. Most notably, Martin will be an unrestricted free agent and may have to take a pay cut to return to the team. "Im at a point in my career where I dont need to get what I can get. ... I have a vision of what I want my career to be, and the main thing is happiness and being a part of something special," Martin said. Nike Roshe One Sale Uk . The 29-year-old Baines has established himself as one of the top attacking full backs in the country and was the subject of two bids from United during the last off-season. Everton manager Roberto Martinez says that keeping Baines at the club is a "massive boost and exciting for the future" because he brings "maturity and football knowledge in a very specialized position on the pitch" and an "infectious and positive influence to the rest of the squad. Air Max 90 Hyperfuse Uk Sale .com) - The women will also have a new champion at the Australian Open. http://www.airmaxnew2017.com/nike-air-max-2015.html .25 million option on reliever Jose Veras.CARLSBAD, Calif. -- Martina Hingis won in her return to the WTA Tour, teaming with Daniela Hantuchova for a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Julia Goerges and Darija Jurak on Wednesday in the Southern California Open. Hingis, the 32-year-old former top-ranked singled player whose last tour match was September 2007, consistently showed the deft hands that made her a nine-time Grand Slam doubles champion before a sparse crowd that gave her a warm ovation when she was introduced. Hingis didnt touch the ball until the fifth point of the match but flashed her doubles talent when she hit a backhand volley right at Jurak for a point in the second game. "I felt like I got more comfortable (after the first set), returning, serving, everything," she said. "For me, mentally, I felt really good after that. The (first) service game of the second set, after that game I was like, Im back to normal." Hingis is scheduled to play doubles with Hantuchova in four tournaments, including the U.S. Open. "It was a great test for us and being able to beat them the way we did, it just gives us a lot of hope for the coming weeks," Hantuchova said about beating the team that reached the final of the Bank of the West Classic on Sunday. The Swiss Miss has retired twice previously, the first time in early 2003 at 22 and the last time in November 2007. In singles, Ana Ivanovic advanced to the second round by beating defending champion Dominika Cibulkova 4-6, 6-3, 6-2. The seventh-seeded Ivanovic, from Serbia, won nine of the final 11 games. She used a strong ground game to overpower Cibulkova, the Slovak coming off a victory Sunday in the Bank of the West Classic at Stanford. Nike Air Max 90 Vt Black. "As soon as the draw came out I thought it was one of the toughest first-round matches, especially being a seeded player," said Ivanovic, the former top-ranked singles player and 2008 French Open champ. "But I was really happy with my performance." Top-seeded Victoria Azarenka of Belarus beat Italys Francesca Schiavone 6-2, 6-3 in the second round. Azarenka was playing her first match since withdrawing from her second-round match at Wimbledon because of knee and hip injuries. "Just going on the court and competing was so much joy for me," Azarenka said. "I was really playing and happy to be doing something I was training for. . . . I dont think about it (injuries)." Ivanovic, who fired coach Nigel Sears after her second-round loss at Wimbledon, said she has been working on "being consistent and also working on that confidence part. It plays a big role. I felt like my game has been there at times but not my confidence." Third-seeded Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic and fourth-seeded Roberta Vinci of Italy had few problems in winning their opening matches after receiving first-round byes. Kvitova advanced to the quarterfinals with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over British teenager Laura Robson. The victory avenged Kvitovas second-round loss to Robson at the Australian Open in January. Vinci beat American Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-4. In the late match, fifth-seeded Sam Stosur of Australia beat Kazakhstans Sesil Karatantcheva 6-4, 6-1 in the second round. Wholesale Jerseys China ' ' '