The

2010–11 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...

Oklahoma City Thunder season was the 3rd season of the franchise's existence in Oklahoma City as a member of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The franchise built on its prior success from the previous year, winning 55 regular-season games and reaching the Western Conference finals – in the process becoming the second-youngest team ever to do so. In the playoffs, the Thunder defeated the

Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...

in five games in the First Round, and the Memphis Grizzlies in seven games in the Semi-finals, before losing to the eventual NBA champion

Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference (NBA), Western Conferenc ...

in five games in the Conference Finals.

Previous season

The Thunder finished the 2010–10 season 50–32 to finish in fourth place in the Northwest Division, eighth in the Western Conference and qualified for the playoffs. The Thunder made it to the playoffs for the first since the franchise moved to Oklahoma City but were defeated 4-2 against the

Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...

Offseason

Draft picks

The Thunder had three first-round picks and one second-round pick entering the draft. The Thunder's 18th overall pick was originally acquired from the Miami Heat as a result of the Daequan Cook trade prior to the draft. The Thunder also acquired the 26th overall pick originally owned by the

Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...

in the Kurt Thomas trade in 2007. In the second round, the Thunder acquired the 51st overall pick originally owned by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the

Etan Thomas Dedrick Etan Thomas (born April 1, 1978) is an American former professional basketball player who played for the Washington Wizards, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is also a published po ...

trade. The Thunder traded their 2010 second-round pick in the Byron Mullens trade back in 2009. On draft night, the Thunder made four trades to acquire a future first-round pick and draft rights to three players. The Thunder traded the draft rights to Eric Bledsoe, the eighteenth pick, to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for a future first-round pick. The Thunder traded cash considerations to the Atlanta Hawks for Tibor Pleiss, the thirty-first pick. The Thunder then traded a future second-round pick swap to the Miami Heat in exchange for draft rights to Latavious Williams, the forty-eighth pick. Finally, the Thunder traded Magnum Rolle, the fifty-first pick, to the

Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first esta ...

in exchange for Ryan Reid, the fifty-seventh pick. Two weeks later, the Thunder traded the draft rights to Craig Brackins, the twenty-first pick, and Quincy Pondexter, the twenty-sixth pick, to the New Orleans Hornets in exchange for the draft rights to Cole Aldrich, the eleventh pick, and Morris Peterson. The Thunder ended

2010 NBA Draft The 2010 NBA draft was held on June 24, 2010, at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The draft, which started at 7:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time (2300 UTC), was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National ...

night and the conclusion of player acquisitions and transactions, with Kansas center Cole Aldrich, Brose Basket center Tibor Pleiss, Tulsa 66ers of the NBA D-League forward Latavious Williams, and Florida State forward Ryan Reid.

Players

Team roster

2010–11 Salaries

Sources: * HoopsHype: OKC Salaries * HoopsWorld: OKC Salaries * ESPN: OKC Roster

Offseason

International participation

In February 2010, the USA National Basketball Team named Thunder players Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook to the 27-man national team roster for 2010–12. From July 19–24, 2010, Durant, Westbrook and Jeff Green each attended tryout camp in Las Vegas for inclusion on the 12-man USA National Team roster at the

2010 FIBA World Championship The 2010 FIBA World Championship was the 16th FIBA World Championship, the international basketball world championship contested by the men's national teams. The tournament ran from 28 August to 12 September 2010. It was co-organised by the Inte ...

, to take place from August 28 to September 12, 2010, in Turkey. In late July, Durant, Westbrook and Green were each named to the narrowed 15-man USA Team roster, which participated in additional workouts August 9–16 in New York City. On August 15, 2010, Westbrook and Durant were named to the narrowed 13-man roster, which competed from August 17–20 in Madrid, Spain. On August 24, 2010, the final 12-man roster was effectively determined when USA Basketball member Rajon Rondo withdrew from Team USA. This made Durant and Westbrook the only members of Team USA from the same NBA squad. In addition, Thunder athletic trainer Joe Sharpe also traveled as a team assistant. Thunder players participating on other FIBA teams included Nenad Krstić (who was suspended for Serbia's first three games following a chair-throwing incident in a tune-up match against Greece at the Acropolis Tournament on August 19), and Tibor Pleiß for Germany. At the 2010 FIBA tournament, Team USA won the championship game against Turkey, and Serbia ended the tournament in fourth place. Germany did not advance to the elimination-round phase of the competition. Durant was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player, and was also a first-team All-Tournament selection. For his efforts, Durant was also awarded the 2010 Male Athlete of the Year award by USA Basketball.

Coaching/Staff changes

Just before the end of the 2010 playoffs, the Thunder announced that the team had exercised extension rights on its contract with Coach Scott Brooks, keeping him under contract through the 2011–12 season. Under the contract, Brooks earns in excess of $1.5 million per season. Later, on July 22, 2010, the team announced signing its general manager

Sam Presti Samuel Presti (born November 1, 1977) is an American basketball executive who is the current general manager of the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder. Presti has held the position since 2007 when he was hired at the age of 29, and was the second younge ...

to a multi-year deal, terms of which were not disclosed. Assistant coaching and staff positions, however, changed over the summer. In late June, Thunder assistant coach Ron Adams took a similar position with the Chicago Bulls under their new head coach Tom Thibodeau. As of July, the Thunder had no immediate plans to directly replace Adams. On August 24, 2010, the Thunder added former international coach Maz Trakh as an assistant coach in charge of player development, in addition to confirming the retention of remaining assistant coaches Maurice Cheeks, Mark Bryant, Rex Kalamian, and Brian Keefe. On July 19, 2010, Thunder Assistant general manager

Rich Cho Richard Cho (born August 10, 1965) is an American basketball executive who currently serves as the Vice President of Basketball Strategy of the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association. Prior to the Grizzlies, Cho was the general m ...

left to take the vacant general manager's position with the Portland Trail Blazers. Former Thunder Director of Pro Personnel Bill Branch also joined Cho in Portland. The Thunder subsequently promoted Troy Weaver to vice president/assistant general manager, Rob Hennigan to assistant general manager/player personnel, Paul Rivers to director of minor league operations and basketball technology and Brandon Barnett to director of minor league scouting and manager of minor league operations. At the same time, the Thunder announced the additions of Michael Winger as Assistant general manager for Legal/Administration, and David Vanterpool as a scout.

Training

The Thunder attended the

Orlando Pro Summer League The NBA Summer League, also known as the Las Vegas Summer League, is an off-season competition organized by the National Basketball Association. NBA teams come together to try out different summer rosters instead of their regular season line-ups ...

from July 5–9, 2010, during which the team won four games and lost one. No Thunder starters were assigned to Orlando; Harden, Serge Ibaka and Eric Maynor were the most experienced players on the summer roster. The Thunder also signed forward Marcus Lewis and guard Cliff Hammonds as free agents on the summer roster. Both Durant and Daequan Cook attended the event and participated in informal workouts. Harden averaged 17.5 points over five games, good for fifth in the summer league standings. Maynor averaged 5.0 assists over three games, good for fourth.

Promotion and media news

In June 2010, Durant and teammate James Harden completed a week-long promotional tour of China sponsored by Nike. Durant was also unveiled as the featured athlete on the cover of EA Sports' video game '' NBA Elite 11''. On August 3, 2010, the Thunder announced a multi-year contract granting FOX Sports Southwest the exclusive rights to regional television broadcasts of Thunder games. On August 26, 2010, the Thunder organization announced that it would exercise its right to re-open naming rights negotiations for the Ford Center, which effectively guarantees a name change for the facility in the near future. Thunder players Durant, Krstić, and

Thabo Sefolosha Thabo Patrick Sefolosha (; born May 2, 1984) is a Swiss former professional basketball player. He has also played in the NBA for the Chicago Bulls, Oklahoma City Thunder, Atlanta Hawks, Utah Jazz and Houston Rockets, in the Turkish Basket ...

were featured on the October 19, 2010, cover of Sports Illustrated's 2010 NBA Preview edition, with an accompanying feature article by SI Correspondent Lee Jenkins.

Draft acquisitions

Heading into the week of the 2010 draft, the Thunder held rights to four draft selections: *# 21 (first round), *# 26 (first round, acquired from Phoenix), *# 32 (second pick of the second round, acquired from MinnesotaOn July 27, 2009, Oklahoma City acquired

, and the eventual #32 and #51 picks in the 2010 draft from Minnesota in exchange for

Damien Wilkins Damien Lamont Wilkins (born January 11, 1980) is an American former professional basketball player and basketball executive who played in the National Basketball Association for ten seasons. He is the General Manager and Head of Basketball at Ov ...

and Chucky Atkins. ), and *# 51 (twenty-first pick of the second round, acquired from Minnesota via Dallas and

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

). On June 23, 2010, the Thunder traded their rights to the #32 overall pick to the Miami Heat in exchange for the #18 overall pick and the rights to shooting guard Daequan Cook. On draft day, June 24, 2010, the Thunder acquired shooting guard Eric Bledsoe from Kentucky with the 18th pick. With the 21st pick, the Thunder acquired power forward Craig Brackins from

Iowa State Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the n ...

. With the 26th pick, the Thunder acquired forward Quincy Pondexter from Washington. With the 51st pick, the Thunder acquired center Magnum Rolle from Louisiana Tech. However, each of these draft acquisitions was subjected to a trade on draft day: * The Thunder agreed to acquire Morris Peterson and the draft rights to 11th overall pick Cole Aldrich from New Orleans in exchange for the draft rights to Brackins and Pondexter. The deal was finalized after the expiration of the NBA free agent trade moratorium on July 8, 2010. * The

L.A. Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...

acquired the draft rights to Bledsoe in exchange for a conditional (top-ten protected) first-round pick in 2012. * The

acquired the draft rights to Rolle in exchange for the draft rights to 57th pick Ryan Reid of Florida State and cash consideration. In addition: * The Thunder acquired the draft rights to 31st pick Tibor Pleiß from Atlanta in exchange for cash consideration. * The Thunder acquired the draft rights to 48th pick Latavious Williams of the Tulsa 66ers from Miami in exchange for a future second-round pick.

Draft summary table

Pre-season

Summary

The Thunder's pre-season training camp opened on September 28, 2010, with the temporary roster addition of guards Demond "Tweety" Carter, Jerome Dyson and

Elijah Millsap Elijah Millsap (born August 12, 1987) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the College Park Skyhawks of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and the Universi ...

, as well as center Longar Longar. Carter and Longar were subsequently waived and removed from the roster on October 15, 2010, after one pre-season appearance each. The Thunder's final two pre-season roster additions, Dyson and Millsap, were waived on October 20, 2010 – leaving the team roster at the required 15 members heading into the regular season.

Game log

, - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 1 , October 6 , @ Charlotte , , Jeff Green (25) , Serge Ibaka (11) , Russell Westbrook (6) , Cumberland County Crown Coliseum
7,491 , 1–0 , - bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 2 , October 8 , @ Miami , , Kevin Durant (21) , Jeff Green,
James Harden (5) , Eric Maynor,
Russell Westbrook (6) , Sprint Center
18,222 , 1–1 , - bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 3 , October 12 , Memphis , , James Harden (23) , Serge Ibaka (8) , Royal Ivey (6) ,

BOK Center The BOK Center, or Bank of Oklahoma Center, is a 19,199-seat multi-purpose arena and a primary indoor sports and event venue in Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States. Designed to accommodate arena football, hockey, basketball, concerts, and similar even ...

11,297 , 1–2 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 4 , October 14 , CSKA Moscow , , Kevin Durant (20) , Serge Ibaka (6) , Kevin Durant (7) , Oklahoma City Arena
16,425 , 2–2 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 5 , October 18 , @ San Antonio , , Kevin Durant (29) , Kevin Durant,
Jeff Green (9) , Russell Westbrook (9) , AT&T Center
14,627 , 3–2 , - bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 6 , October 19 , @ Denver , , Jeff Green (29) , D. J. White (13) , Eric Maynor (6) , Pepsi Center
13,549 , 3–3 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 7 , October 21 , New Orleans , , Kevin Durant (19) , Byron Mullens (9) , Kevin Durant (8) , Oklahoma City Arena
16,541 , 4–3 , -

Regular season

Summary

The Thunder's playoff run in 2009–10 fueled early-season interest for 2010–11. The team's regular-season schedule, released on August 10, 2010, revealed fifteen nationally televised games, up from three in the previous year. The Thunder also ranked among the NBA's top five teams in new season ticket sales heading into the year. This was in addition to a 93% renewal rate for season tickets from the previous year, well above the NBA average of 80%. The Thunder began their regular season at home against the Chicago Bulls with an Opening Night promotion that included outdoor entertainment, a new magazine publication, and a blue-attire theme. The Thunder won the opening game, 106 to 95. The first two months of the season saw mixed, but generally positive results for the Thunder. Through December 10, 2010, the Thunder played a schedule which statistically ranked #5 in the NBA, and #3 in the Western Conference. Despite this, the team logged a .667 winning percentage over the period. Kevin Durant led the NBA in scoring over the period at 27.45 points per game, although he missed four games due to injury (the Thunder were 3–1 in those games). The early season was highlighted by strong performances by Russell Westbrook (who at 23.95 points per game improved his scoring average by almost 8 points per game compared to 2009–2010) and Serge Ibaka (who saw his playing time increase to over 27 minutes per game and was near the top of the league in blocks). By the midway point in the season, the Thunder's cumulative team free-throw percentage stood at .83116, just slightly off the pace of the all-time NBA single-season record of .83186, set by the 1989–90 Boston Celtics. The team's three-point shooting, however, lagged behind other offensive categories; by early February, the team's cumulative three-point percentage was 32.8%, third-worst in the league. The Thunder's 27–14 record at the midpoint of the season was largely attributable to a potent offense (103.7 points per game, sixth in the NBA) making up for subpar defensive performance (102 opponents' points per game, 20th in the NBA). As of the All-Star break, the Thunder were rated #6 in the NBA's power ranking system, with a comparatively easy schedule over the remaining course of the season. Through the first half of the season, the Thunder's rotation stayed relatively constant, with a starting five of: * PG: Russell Westbrook * SG: Thabo Sefolosha * SF: Kevin Durant * PF: Jeff Green * C: Nenad Krstić Except for periodic injuries, the starting rotation did not change until after the trading deadline on February 24, 2011. In various combinations, the Thunder generally used a nine-man rotation through January 2011, providing reserves Ibaka, Maynor, Harden and Nick Collison with significant playing time. During four games when Durant was out of the lineup with injury, the Thunder often utilized a lineup which simultaneously featured Green at the small forward spot with Ibaka at power forward, a combination featured more often as the early season unfolded. Starting with the January 28, 2011, game against Washington, shooting guard Daequan Cook began receiving significant minutes in the rotation, allowing the Thunder to substitute an entirely new second string on multiple occasions. This combination sparked some notable Thunder streaks, including the February 5 game against Utah and the February 15 game against Sacramento. The starting rotation changed significantly after the February 24, 2011, trading deadline. In two deals made on that date, the Thunder sent starters Jeff Green and Nenad Krstić to the Boston Celtics, and acquired eventual starter at center Kendrick Perkins, backup center Nazr Mohammed, and backup point guard Nate Robinson. Perkins was unable to start immediately after his acquisition due to a left knee sprain suffered on February 22. In games on February 25 and 27, the Thunder elevated Ibaka and Collison into the starting rotation at power forward and center, respectively. The immediate post-trade lineup shuffle resulted in the team's only three-game losing streak of the season, from February 23–27. This stretch, however, did include some bright spots, including a competitive performance against the Lakers on February 27 in which Cole Aldrich registered his best performance of the year. On March 2, Mohammed replaced Collison as starting center. The starting lineup changed again on March 14 with the insertion of Kendrick Perkins at starting center. This solidified the starting lineup for the stretch run of the regular season as: * PG: Russell Westbrook * SG: Thabo Sefolosha * SF: Kevin Durant * PF: Serge Ibaka * C: Kendrick Perkins The most immediate beneficiary of the new lineup, however, was sixth man James Harden, who in the first 15 games after the All-Star break increased his scoring average from 10.3 to 17.7 points per game. The new lineup's first major test came in the March 16, 2011, game at Miami, which the Thunder won due to a shutdown defensive performance in the second half. Subsequently, the team was cited for lackluster play in a four-game stretch from March 18–25, but afterward put in an energetic performance against Portland at home on March 27, a win which clinched a playoff berth for the franchise for the second year in a row. The team subsequently clinched the Northwest Division championship with its April 6 victory against the Los Angeles Clippers. The contributions of Cook and Harden in the second half of the season, combined with improved three-point shooting from Westbrook, allowed the team to bring its overall three-point shooting percentage to 34.7% by the end of the regular season, good for 19th in the league. Although the Thunder ended up leading the NBA in free-throw percentage at 82.3%, this number did not displace the 1989–90 Celtics record. The Thunder were still in contention for a #2 overall playoff seed by the time of their last regular season game on April 13 against Milwaukee, the pre-game ceremonies for which featured the unveiling of a Northwest Division championship banner. However, the Thunder's overtime loss in that game, in which the starting rotation played limited minutes, guaranteed the overall #4 seed in the Western Conference and a first-round playoff matchup with the #5-seed Denver Nuggets. The Thunder ended the season with 55 wins, five more than the 2009–10 season. Overall during the regular season, they averaged 104.83 points per game (good for fifth in the league) while limiting opponents to 101.04 points per game (18th in the league). Attendance at Thunder regular season games continued to be strong in 2010–11. Despite having one of the smaller arenas in the NBA, the Thunder drew an average of 18,148 spectators per contest, ranking 13th in the league. This translated into 99.7% of the overall capacity of the 18,203-seat Oklahoma City Arena, ranking 8th in the league.

Promotion and media news

In March 2011, the Thunder were named to Fast Company Magazine's list of the Ten Most Innovative Companies in Sports, ranked at #6. In merchandising sales figures released by the NBA on April 13, 2011, the Thunder as a team generated the sixth-most jersey sales of all NBA teams; in addition, Kevin Durant's individual jersey ranked as the seventh-most popular in the NBA. In the May/June 2011 issue of ''Dime Magazine'', Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were featured on the cover and named "The NBA's best duo since Shaq and Kobe."

Standings

Division

Conference

c – clinched regular-season conference lead
x – clinched playoff spot
y – clinched division

Game log

, - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 1 , October 27 , Chicago , , Kevin Durant (30) , Russell Westbrook (10) , Russell Westbrook (6) , Oklahoma City Arena
18,203 , 1–0 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 2 , October 29 , @ Detroit , , Kevin Durant (30) , Serge Ibaka (10) , Russell Westbrook (11) , The Palace of Auburn Hills
22,076 , 2–0 , - bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 3 , October 31 , Utah , , Kevin Durant (28) , Jeff Green (9) , Russell Westbrook (5) , Oklahoma City Arena
18,203 , 2–1 , - , - bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 4 , November 3 , @

, , Jeff Green (19) , Jeff Green,
Nenad Krstić (9) , Russell Westbrook (6) ,

Staples Center Crypto.com Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Downtown Los Angeles. Adjacent to the L.A. Live development, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along Figueroa Street. The arena opened on October 17, 1999; it was ...

18,414 , 2–2 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 5 , November 4 , @

, , Kevin Durant,
Russell Westbrook (28) , Kevin Durant,
Russell Westbrook (11) , Russell Westbrook (5) , Rose Garden
20,611 , 3–2 , - bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 6 , November 7 , Boston , , Kevin Durant (34) , Serge Ibaka (11) , Russell Westbrook (10) , Oklahoma City Arena
18,203 , 3–3 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 7 , November 10 , Philadelphia , , Kevin Durant,
Russell Westbrook (31) , Kevin Durant,
Serge Ibaka (7) , Russell Westbrook (12) , Oklahoma City Arena
18,203 , 4–3 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 8 , November 12 ,

, , Russell Westbrook (36) , Serge Ibaka,
Russell Westbrook (7) , Russell Westbrook (7) , Oklahoma City Arena
18,203 , 5–3 , - bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 9 , November 14 , San Antonio , , Kevin Durant (23) , Kevin Durant (7) , Russell Westbrook (8) , Oklahoma City Arena
18,203 , 5–4 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 10 , November 15 , @ Utah , , Kevin Durant (30) , Serge Ibaka (11) , Russell Westbrook (7) , EnergySolutions Arena
19,911 , 6–4 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 11 , November 17 , Houston , , Kevin Durant (24) , Serge Ibaka (8) , Russell Westbrook (12) , Oklahoma City Arena
17,509 , 7–4 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 12 , November 19 , @ Boston , , Russell Westbrook (31) , Serge Ibaka,

(7) , Russell Westbrook (6) , TD Garden
18,624 , 8–4 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 13 , November 20 , @ Milwaukee , , James Harden (23) , James Harden (9) , Russell Westbrook (6) ,

Bradley Center The Bradley Center (also known as the BMO Harris Bradley Center under sponsorship agreements) was a multi-purpose arena located on the northwest corner of North Vel R. Phillips Ave. and West State Streets in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United ...

16,975 , 9–4 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 14 , November 22 , Minnesota , , Kevin Durant (28) ,

(11) , Russell Westbrook (14) , Oklahoma City Arena
17,653 , 10–4 , - bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 15 , November 24 , Dallas , , Kevin Durant (32) , Kevin Durant (11) , Russell Westbrook (10) , Oklahoma City Arena
18,203 , 10–5 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 16 , November 26 , @ Indiana , , Russell Westbrook (43) , Jeff Green (14) , Russell Westbrook (8) , Conseco Fieldhouse
17,155 , 11–5 , - bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 17 , November 28 , @ Houston , , Russell Westbrook (23) , Serge Ibaka (8) , Russell Westbrook (10) , Toyota Center
15,316 , 11–6 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 18 , November 29 , New Orleans , , Kevin Durant (26) , Kevin Durant,
Serge Ibaka (11) , Russell Westbrook (11) , Oklahoma City Arena
18,203 , 12–6 , - , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 19 , December 1 , @ New Jersey , , Russell Westbrook (38) , Russell Westbrook (15) , Russell Westbrook (9) , Prudential Center
13,108 , 13–6 , - bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 20 , December 3 , @ Toronto , , James Harden,
Russell Westbrook (20) ,

(7) , Jeff Green,
Russell Westbrook (7) , Air Canada Centre
16,774 , 13–7 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 21 , December 5 , Golden State , , Kevin Durant (28) , Jeff Green,
Serge Ibaka (8) , Russell Westbrook (13) , Oklahoma City Arena
18,203 , 14–7 , - bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 22 , December 6 , @ Chicago , , Kevin Durant (29) ,

(8) , Russell Westbrook (7) , United Center
21,184 , 14–8 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 23 , December 8 , @ Minnesota , , Kevin Durant (30) , Kevin Durant (11) , Russell Westbrook (8) , Target Center
13,907 , 15–8 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 24 , December 10 , @ New Orleans , , Russell Westbrook (29) , Serge Ibaka (9) , Russell Westbrook (10) , New Orleans Arena
14,428 , 16–8 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 25 , December 12 , Cleveland , , Kevin Durant (25) , Nick Collison (8) , Russell Westbrook (11) , Oklahoma City Arena
18,203 , 17–8 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 26 , December 15 , Houston , , Kevin Durant (32) ,

(9) , Jeff Green,
Russell Westbrook (5) , Oklahoma City Arena
17,997 , 18–8 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 27 , December 17 , Sacramento , , Kevin Durant (24) , Serge Ibaka (10) , Russell Westbrook (6) , Oklahoma City Arena
18,203 , 19–8 , - bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 28 , December 19 , Phoenix , , Kevin Durant (28) , Nick Collison (8) , Russell Westbrook (9) , Oklahoma City Arena
18,203 , 19–9 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 29 , December 21 , @ Charlotte , , Kevin Durant (32) , Nick Collison (10) , Jeff Green (5) , Time Warner Cable Arena
16,876 , 20–9 , - bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 30 , December 22 , @

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, , Kevin Durant (26) , Serge Ibaka,

(8) , Russell Westbrook (5) ,

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylva ...

19,763 , 20–10 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 31 , December 25 , Denver , , Kevin Durant (44) , Nenad Krstić (8) , Jeff Green (6) , Oklahoma City Arena
18,203 , 21–10 , - bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 32 , December 27 , Dallas , , Kevin Durant (28) , Serge Ibaka (9) , Russell Westbrook (7) , Oklahoma City Arena
18,203 , 21–11 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 33 , December 29 , New Jersey , , Kevin Durant (27) ,

(8) , Eric Maynor,
Russell Westbrook (7) , Oklahoma City Arena
18,203 , 22–11 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 34 , December 31 , Atlanta , , Kevin Durant (33) , Serge Ibaka,
Russell Westbrook (10) , Russell Westbrook (10) , Oklahoma City Arena
18,203 , 23–11 , - , - bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 35 , January 1 , @ San Antonio , , Kevin Durant (16) , Serge Ibaka (13) ,

(3) , AT&T Center
18,581 , 23–12 , - bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 36 , January 4 , @ Memphis , , Kevin Durant,
Russell Westbrook (28) , Kevin Durant (9) , Russell Westbrook (7) , FedEx Forum
12,765 , 23–13 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 37 , January 6 , @ Dallas , , Kevin Durant (28) , Jeff Green,
Nenad Krstić (9) , Russell Westbrook (9) , American Airlines Center
20,282 , 24–13 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 38 , January 8 , Memphis , , Kevin Durant (40) , Kevin Durant (8) , Russell Westbrook (11) , Oklahoma City Arena
18,203 , 25–13 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 39 , January 12 , @ Houston , , Kevin Durant (30) ,

(13) , Russell Westbrook (13) , Toyota Center
16,158 , 26–13 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 40 , January 13 , Orlando , , Kevin Durant (36) , Nenad Krstić (11) , Russell Westbrook (13) , Oklahoma City Arena
18,203 , 27–13 , - bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 41 , January 17 , @ L.A. Lakers , , Russell Westbrook (32) , Serge Ibaka (10) , Russell Westbrook (12) ,

18,997 , 27–14 , - bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 42 , January 19 , @ Denver , , Russell Westbrook (28) , Nick Collison,
Serge Ibaka (9) , Russell Westbrook (10) , Pepsi Center
16,872 , 27–15 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 43 , January 22 ,

, , Kevin Durant (30) , Serge Ibaka (15) , Russell Westbrook (5) , Oklahoma City Arena
18,203 , 28–15 , - bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 44 , January 24 , @ New Orleans , , Kevin Durant (22) , Serge Ibaka (10) , Russell Westbrook (10) , New Orleans Arena
17,233 , 28–16 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 45 , January 26 , @ Minnesota , , Kevin Durant (47) , Kevin Durant (18) , Russell Westbrook (8) , Target Center
14,979 , 29–16 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 46 , January 28 , Washington , , Kevin Durant (40) , Russell Westbrook (13) , Russell Westbrook (13) , Oklahoma City Arena
18,203 , 30–16 , - bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 47 , January 30 , Miami , , Kevin Durant (33) , Jeff Green (11) , Russell Westbrook (10) , Oklahoma City Arena
18,203 , 30–17 , - , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 48 , February 2 , New Orleans , , Kevin Durant (43) , Serge Ibaka (12) , Russell Westbrook (8) , Oklahoma City Arena
17,849 , 31–17 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 49 , February 4 , @ Phoenix , , Jeff Green (28) , Kevin Durant (11) , Russell Westbrook (11) ,

US Airways Center The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

16,274 , 32–17 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 50 , February 5 , @ Utah , , Russell Westbrook (33) , Kevin Durant (12) , Russell Westbrook (10) , EnergySolutions Arena
19,711 , 33–17 , - bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 51 , February 8 , Memphis , , Kevin Durant (31) , Serge Ibaka (14) , Russell Westbrook (11) , Oklahoma City Arena
17,868 , 33–18 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 52 , February 12 , @ Sacramento , , Kevin Durant (35) , Kevin Durant,
Serge Ibaka (6) , Russell Westbrook (7) , ARCO Arena
14,987 , 34–18 , - bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 53 , February 13 , @ Golden State , , Kevin Durant (29) , Nick Collison (10) , Russell Westbrook (5) , Oracle Arena
19,596 , 34–19 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 54 , February 15 , Sacramento , , Daequan Cook (20) , Serge Ibaka (9) , Russell Westbrook (11) , Oklahoma City Arena
18,087 , 35–19 , - align="center" , colspan="9" bgcolor="#bbcaff", All-Star Break , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 55 , February 22 ,

, , Jeff Green (22) , Serge Ibaka (10) , Russell Westbrook (7) , Oklahoma City Arena
18,203 , 36–19 , - bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 56 , February 23 , @ San Antonio , , Kevin Durant (30) , Serge Ibaka (15) , Russell Westbrook (7) , AT&T Center
18,581 , 36–20 , - bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 57 , February 25 , @ Orlando , , Kevin Durant (23) , Kevin Durant (16) , Eric Maynor (7) , Amway Center
19,011 , 36–21 , - bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 58 , February 27 , L.A. Lakers , , Russell Westbrook (22) , Serge Ibaka (13) , Russell Westbrook (6) , Oklahoma City Arena
18,203 , 36–22 , - , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 59 , March 2 , Indiana , , Kevin Durant,
Russell Westbrook (21) , Serge Ibaka (12) , Russell Westbrook (9) , Oklahoma City Arena
18,203 , 37–22 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 60 , March 4 , @ Atlanta , , Kevin Durant (29) , Kevin Durant (8) , Russell Westbrook (9) , Philips Arena
17,916 , 38–22 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 61 , March 6 , Phoenix , , Russell Westbrook (32) , Nick Collison,

(9) , Russell Westbrook (11) , Oklahoma City Arena
18,203 , 39–22 , - bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 62 , March 7 , @ Memphis , , Russell Westbrook (27) , Kevin Durant,
James Harden,
Serge Ibaka (6) , Russell Westbrook (7) , FedExForum
13,903 , 39–23 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 63 , March 9 , @ Philadelphia , , Kevin Durant (34) , Kevin Durant (16) , Russell Westbrook (12) , Wells Fargo Center
19,283 , 40–23 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 64 , March 11 , Detroit , , Kevin Durant (24) , Kevin Durant (9) , Russell Westbrook (11) , Oklahoma City Arena
18,203 , 41–23 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 65 , March 13 , @ Cleveland , , Russell Westbrook (20) , Serge Ibaka (14) , Eric Maynor (8) , Quicken Loans Arena
19,811 , 42–23 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 66 , March 14 , @ Washington , , Kevin Durant (32) , Kendrick Perkins (9) , Russell Westbrook (12) ,

Verizon Center Verizon Center may refer to: * Verizon Center (Mankato, Minnesota), now Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center, a multi-purpose arena in Mankato, Minnesota * Verizon Center (Washington, D.C.), now Capital One Arena See also *Verizon Arena, now Sim ...

17,921 , 43–23 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 67 , March 16 , @ Miami , , Kevin Durant (29) , Serge Ibaka (12) , Kevin Durant (6) , American Airlines Arena
20,083 , 44–23 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 68 , March 18 , Charlotte , , Kevin Durant (25) , Serge Ibaka (13) , Russell Westbrook (7) , Oklahoma City Arena
18,203 , 45–23 , - bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 69 , March 20 , Toronto , , James Harden (23) , Kendrick Perkins (12) , James Harden,
Kendrick Perkins,
Russell Westbrook (4) , Oklahoma City Arena
18,203 , 45–24 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 70 , March 23 , Utah , , Russell Westbrook (31) , Serge Ibaka (13) , Russell Westbrook (5) , Oklahoma City Arena
18,203 , 46–24 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 71 , March 25 , Minnesota , , Kevin Durant (23) , Serge Ibaka (10) , Russell Westbrook (8) , Oklahoma City Arena
18,203 , 47–24 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 72 , March 27 ,

, , Russell Westbrook (28) , Kendrick Perkins (10) , Russell Westbrook (7) , Oklahoma City Arena
18,203 , 48–24 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 73 , March 29 , Golden State , , Kevin Durant (39) , Kendrick Perkins (13) , Russell Westbrook (9) , Oklahoma City Arena
18,203 , 49–24 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 74 , March 30 , @ Phoenix , , Kevin Durant,
James Harden (22) , Serge Ibaka (10) , Russell Westbrook (8) ,

18,033 , 50–24 , - , - bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 75 , April 1 , @

, , Kevin Durant (25) , Kevin Durant (11) , Russell Westbrook (6) , Rose Garden
20,709 , 50–25 , - bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 76 , April 2 , @

, , Kevin Durant (23) , Nazr Mohammed (10) , Russell Westbrook (8) ,

19,060 , 50–26 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 77 , April 5 , @ Denver , , Kevin Durant (32) , Kendrick Perkins (14) , Russell Westbrook (6) , Pepsi Center
18,203 , 51–26 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 78 , April 6 ,

, , Kevin Durant (29) , Kendrick Perkins (17) , Russell Westbrook (7) , Oklahoma City Arena
18,203 , 52–26 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 79 , April 8 , Denver , , Kevin Durant (28) , Nick Collison (8) , Russell Westbrook (8) , Oklahoma City Arena
18,203 , 53–26 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 80 , April 10 , @ L.A. Lakers , , Kevin Durant (31) , Russell Westbrook (6) , Russell Westbrook (7) ,

18,997 , 54–26 , - bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 81 , April 11 , @ Sacramento , , Kevin Durant (32) , Kevin Durant,
Serge Ibaka (8) , Russell Westbrook (9) , Power Balance Pavilion
15,683 , 55–26 , - bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 82 , April 13 , Milwaukee , , Russell Westbrook (20) , Nazr Mohammed (10) , James Harden,
Russell Westbrook (5) , Oklahoma City Arena
18,203 , 55–27 , -

Playoffs

Summary

First round

The opening series of the playoffs against the Denver Nuggets was given extra attention when Denver coach George Karl described the Thunder team as "cocky" in comments made before the series. Game 1 of the series featured promotions similar to the "Opening Night" of the regular season, including a "blue-out" T-shirt giveaway and a "Thunder Alley" entertainment venue outside the arena. The crowd atmosphere for Game One was loud enough that it reportedly made Karl's six-year-old daughter cry. The game itself was highly competitive, featuring nine ties and nine lead changes. The Thunder's eventual 107-103 victory was aided by a basket occurring with just over one minute left in the game by Kendrick Perkins, which the NBA later admitted should have resulted in an offensive goaltending call. After a relatively easy Game 2 at home, the Thunder earned a hard-fought 97-94 victory in Game 3 at Denver, behind the remarkable performance of Serge Ibaka, who logged a career-high 22 points along with 16 rebounds. Denver avoided elimination in a Game 4 contest in which the Thunder's Russell Westbrook was criticized for selfish play in a 12-for-30 shooting performance. The Thunder finished the series in Game 5 by winning a dramatic comeback at home, which featured Kevin Durant scoring 16 of his 41 points in the fourth quarter.

Conference semi-finals

The second round of the playoffs matched the Thunder against the Memphis Grizzlies, who had upset the #1-seeded San Antonio Spurs in a six-game series. Memphis dominated Game 1 in Oklahoma City behind a combined 54-point, 23-rebound performance by Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph. The Thunder's front court was able to play more aggressive defense against the duo in Game 2, leading to a 111-102 Thunder victory to tie the series. The next two games of the series in Memphis developed similarly but ended in different results. In Game 3, the Thunder surrendered a 16-point lead late in the third quarter, with the Grizzlies eventually tying the game in regulation and winning the game in overtime. In Game 4, the Thunder allowed Memphis to come back from a 10-point deficit with 5:25 remaining; afterward, the Thunder were unable to convert last-second shots in regulation and each of the first two overtime periods, before eventually pulling out a 133–123 win in triple overtime. Fatigue from this contest appeared to effect the Grizzlies in Game 5, who were limited to just 36% shooting in a runaway 99-72 Thunder victory. Oklahoma City led by 19 points at the end of the third quarter, allowing the team to rest most of its starters for the final period. The rest did not benefit the Thunder in Game 6, however, in which Kevin Durant was limited to just 11 points; by contrast, Memphis' Zach Randolph scored 30 points ''en route'' to a 95-83 Memphis victory, forcing a decisive Game 7 in Oklahoma City. The Thunder were able to clinch the playoff series in Game 7, however, benefitting from a 39-point performance from Durant as well as a triple-double performance by Westbrook.

Conference finals

The Western Conference finals pitted the Thunder against the

, who had previously swept the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers in four games, allowing the Mavericks the advantage of eight days rest heading into the series. Game 1 of the conference finals saw the Thunder accumulate as much as a nine-point lead in the third quarter, but ultimately collapse under the pressure of a 48-point performance by Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki and timely three-point shooting by reserve guard J.J. Barea. Nowitzki's performance included an NBA-record for consecutive free throws in a game; he was a perfect 24-for-24 from the line. Oklahoma City evened the series in Game 2, where the Thunder bench scored 50 points and played much of the decisive fourth quarter. In Game 3, Dallas' defensive effort forced 14 turnovers by the Thunder, eventually opening up a 23-point Dallas lead before holding off a late Thunder charge in a 93–87 win. Game 4 unfolded positively for the Thunder through most of the contest, with the team enjoying a 15-point advantage with 4:49 remaining in the fourth quarter, having built on a large statistical lead in rebounds, assists, blocks, and points in the paint. However, the Thunder suffered from 25 turnovers in the contest, and their offense evaporated in the final five minutes, shooting 1-10 from the field, as Dallas went on a 17-2 run to tie the game in regulation, 101-101. The Mavericks eventually won the game in overtime, 112-105, sending the Thunder back to Dallas down 3-1 in the series. The Thunder season then came to an end on May 25, 2011, in a hard-fought loss at Dallas, 100-96.

Promotion and media news

The Thunder's 2011 playoff appearances generated several new records for television ratings of individual Thunder games within the OKC market. Prior to 2011, the highest-rated Thunder game had been Game 6 against the Lakers in the 2010 playoffs (generating a cumulative 21.4 rating in OKC households among two broadcasts). In 2011, Game 6 of the Memphis series generated a 22.5 share; Game 7 generated a 23.4 share; Game 5 generated a 24.0 share; and Game 1 of the Mavericks series generated a 24.8 share. During the 2011 NBA Playoffs, Kevin Durant was featured in national television commercials for

Gatorade Gatorade is an American brand of sports-themed beverage and food products, built around its signature line of sports drinks. Gatorade is currently manufactured by PepsiCo and is distributed in over 80 countries. The beverage was first develop ...

's "G-Series" sports drink line, with one such commercial incorporating teammates Nate Robinson, Nick Collison, Cole Aldrich and Royal Ivey.

Game log

, - bgcolor=ccffcc , 1 , April 17 , Denver , , Kevin Durant (41) , Kevin Durant (9) , Russell Westbrook (7) , Oklahoma City Arena
18,203 , 1–0 , - bgcolor=ccffcc , 2 , April 20 , Denver , , Kevin Durant (23) , Serge Ibaka (12) , Russell Westbrook (7) , Oklahoma City Arena
18,203 , 2–0 , - bgcolor=ccffcc , 3 , April 23 , @ Denver , , Kevin Durant (26) , Serge Ibaka (16) , Russell Westbrook (8) , Pepsi Center
19,958 , 3–0 , - bgcolor=ffcccc , 4 , April 25 , @ Denver , , Kevin Durant (31) , Serge Ibaka (14) , James Harden,
Russell Westbrook (5) , Pepsi Center
19,155 , 3–1 , - bgcolor=ccffcc , 5 , April 27 , Denver , , Kevin Durant (41) , Kendrick Perkins (9) , Russell Westbrook (4) , Oklahoma City Arena
18,203 , 4–1 , - bgcolor=ffcccc , 1 , May 1 , Memphis , , Kevin Durant (33) , Kevin Durant,
Serge Ibaka (11) , Russell Westbrook (6) , Oklahoma City Arena
18,203 , 0–1 , - bgcolor=ccffcc , 2 , May 3 , Memphis , , Kevin Durant (26) , Nick Collison (7) , Russell Westbrook (6) , Oklahoma City Arena
18,203 , 1–1 , - bgcolor=ffcccc , 3 , May 7 , @ Memphis , , Russell Westbrook (23) , Kendrick Perkins (13) , Russell Westbrook (12) , FedExForum
18,119 , 1–2 , - bgcolor=ccffcc , 4 , May 9 , @ Memphis , , Russell Westbrook (40) , Kevin Durant (13) , James Harden (7) , FedExForum
18,119 , 2–2 , - bgcolor=ccffcc , 5 , May 11 , Memphis , , Kevin Durant (19) , Nick Collison (10) , Eric Maynor (9) , Oklahoma City Arena
18,203 , 3–2 , - bgcolor=ffcccc , 6 , May 13 , @ Memphis , , Russell Westbrook (27) , Kevin Durant,
Kendrick Perkins (7) , James Harden (5) , FedExForum
18,119 , 3–3 , - bgcolor=ccffcc , 7 , May 15 , Memphis , , Kevin Durant (39) , Nick Collison (12) , Russell Westbrook (14) , Oklahoma City Arena
18,203 , 4–3 , - bgcolor=ffcccc , 1 , May 17 , @ Dallas , , Kevin Durant (40) , Kevin Durant (8) , Kevin Durant (5) , American Airlines Center
20,911 , 0–1 , - bgcolor=ccffcc , 2 , May 19 , @ Dallas , , Kevin Durant (24) , Nick Collison,
James Harden (7) , Kevin Durant,
James Harden,
Russell Westbrook (4) , American Airlines Center
21,051 , 1–1 , - bgcolor=ffcccc , 3 , May 21 , Dallas , , Russell Westbrook (30) , Kevin Durant (12) , Kevin Durant (5) , Oklahoma City Arena
18,203 , 1–2 , - bgcolor=ffcccc , 4 , May 23 , Dallas , , Kevin Durant (29) , Kevin Durant (15) , Russell Westbrook (8) , Oklahoma City Arena
18,203 , 1–3 , - bgcolor=ffcccc , 5 , May 25 , @ Dallas , , Russell Westbrook (31) , Nick Collison (12) , James Harden (6) , American Airlines Center
21,092 , 1–4 , -

Post-season

Despite a frustrating series against the Dallas Mavericks to end the season, community spirit surrounding the Thunder remained high after the season. An estimated 500 fans greeted the team's private charter flight as it arrived in Oklahoma City at 1:00 a.m. the night of the Thunder's final loss. After the conclusion of the season, several Thunder players appeared at three different youth camps hosted by the team at various locations around the OKC area in June, until the NBA lockout prohibited players from appearing at Thunder camps after June 30. Kevin Durant hosted his own camp from June 29–30 in OKC, and from July 1–2 in Austin, Texas.

Player statistics

Regular season

: Led team * – Stats with Thunder (partial season) Sources: OKC Thunder 2010–11 Statistics

Playoffs

: Led team Source: OKC Thunder 2011 Playoff Statistics

Awards, records and milestones

Awards

Weekly

* Russell Westbrook was named Western Conference Player of the Week for November 15–21. * Westbrook was named Western Conference Player of the Week for November 29 to December 5. * Westbrook was named Western Conference Player of the Week for January 10–16. * Kevin Durant was named Western Conference Player of the Week for January 31 to February 6. * Westbrook was named Western Conference Player of the Week for February 28 to March 6. * Durant was named Western Conference Player of the Week for April 4 to April 10.

Monthly

* Kevin Durant was named Western Conference Player of the Month for December 2010. * Durant was named Western Conference Player of the Month for April 2011.

All-Star

* Thunder players Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, Thabo Sefolosha, and Russell Westbrook were designated for placement on the NBA ballot for the 2011 All-Star Game, to be played at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on February 20, 2011. * On February 27, 2011, Durant was named as a starter to the Western Conference All-Star team, having received 1,736,728 total votes – the most of any forward, and second only to

Kobe Bryant Kobe Bean Bryant ( ; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely r ...

in overall voting among Western Conference players. It was Durant's second All-Star appearance overall, and first as a starter. During the game Durant scored 34 points, second-most to

's 37-point effort. Durant was also named as one of six participants in the All-Star weekend's Three-Point Shooting Contest held the night before the All-Star Game, although he did not advance out of the preliminary round. * Russell Westbrook was selected as an All-Star team reserve by a vote of the Western Conference coaches. It was his first All-Star appearance. Westbrook scored 12 points in the game. Westbrook was also voted by online fan ballot to participate in the

Taco Bell Skills Challenge The NBA Skills Challenge (officially named The Taco Bell Skills Challenge), is a National Basketball Association (NBA) contest held on the Saturday before the annual All-Star Game as part of the All-Star Weekend. First held in 2003, it is a compe ...

held the night before the All-Star Game. Westbrook advanced to the finals of the competition, placing second to

Stephen Curry Wardell Stephen Curry II ( ; born March 14, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, ...

. * Forward Serge Ibaka was named as a first-time participant for the 2011 All-Star Slam Dunk Contest. Durant was assigned as Ibaka's official coach for the competition. Although Ibaka did not advance out of the preliminary round, he made an impression with his two efforts – a running dunk from the free-throw line and a dunk in which he simultaneously grabbed a "Rumble" mascot doll off the rim with his teeth. Ibaka was also named to the Sopohomore Team roster in the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge, in which he registered 14 points and two blocked shots. * Guard James Harden was also named to the Sophomore Team roster in the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge, as the replacement for Tyreke Evans (unable to compete due to plantar fasciitis). Harden lead the Sophomore team with 30 points, and also recorded two assists.

Season

* At the close of the regular season, forward Kevin Durant clinched his second-consecutive NBA scoring title, averaging 27.7 points per game. In the process, he surpassed Bob McAdoo as the youngest NBA player to earn two scoring titles. * On April 20, 2011, Kevin Durant was given the Magic Johnson Award by the Professional Basketball Writers Association, recognizing the combination of Durant's on-court performance and openness with the media during the course of the regular season. * Kevin Durant received recognition on the All-NBA First Team at the end of the year. Russell Westbrook received recognition on the All-NBA Second Team.

Records

Milestones

* The Thunder's January 22, 2011, win over the

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...

was Scott Brooks' 100th win as an NBA head coach, all with the Thunder. * During the March 11, 2011, game against Detroit, Russell Westbrook scored the 4,000th point of his NBA career, becoming one of only five players in NBA history to log 4,000 points, 1,500 assists and 1,000 rebounds in their first three years. * The March 18, 2011, game against Charlotte was Kevin Durant's 300th game in the NBA. Among active players, Durant rates third in points scored during the first 300 games, with 7,760 total points.

Injuries and surgeries

* Center Nenad Krstić underwent surgery on September 21, 2010, to repair a fracture to his right middle finger, suffered in the final game of the FIBA World Championships in Istanbul, Turkey, against Lithuania. His recovery allowed him to see playing time in the Thunder's regular-season debut on October 27, 2010, and subsequent games. Back spasms forced him to sit out games on November 26 and 28, and again from December 10 through December 22. After the January 26 game against Minnesota, Krstić developed a sore right foot which was subsequently aggravated in the February 2 game against New Orleans. Neither condition forced him to miss a start, however. * Center Nenad Krstić underwent surgery on September 21, 2010, to repair a fracture to his right middle finger, suffered in the final game of the FIBA World Championships in Istanbul, Turkey, against Lithuania. His recovery allowed him to see playing time in the Thunder's regular-season debut on October 27, 2010, and subsequent games. Back spasms forced him to sit out games on November 26 and 28, and again from December 10 through December 22. After the January 26 game against Minnesota, Krstić developed a sore right foot which was subsequently aggravated in the February 2 game against New Orleans. Neither condition forced him to miss a start, however. * Forward Jeff Green suffered a sprained left ankle in practice on November 6, 2010, forcing his placement on the inactive list for games from November 7 through November 12. After aggravating the injury against the San Antonio Spurs on November 14, Green was withheld from action in games from November 15 through November 20. * Kevin Durant suffered a left ankle sprain in the game against Houston on November 17, limiting his action in that game and forcing him to sit out subsequent games against Boston on November 19 and Milwaukee on November 20. Durant subsequently sprained his left knee in the fourth quarter of the November 29 game against New Orleans, forcing him onto the inactive list for games on December 1 and 3. * Rookie Cole Aldrich was sidelined with a left rib contusion for games on December 10 and 12. * Guard Eric Maynor suffered a sprained right foot on January 1, 2011, but did not miss subsequent game action. * Guard Thabo Sefolosha suffered a sprained knee after the Thunder's game on January 26, and missed subsequent games through February 2. * Center Kendrick Perkins suffered a left knee sprain in the final game prior to being traded to the Thunder on February 24, 2011. While separate from the ligament injury to his right knee which kept Perkins out much of the 2010–11 season, the sprain kept Perkins out of the lineup until March 14. * Point guard Nate Robinson underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee on March 4, 2011, after experiencing discomfort following practice on February 28. He is expected to miss 4–6 weeks, which would place his return near the end of the regular season. Robinson was placed back on the active roster for the March 29 game against Golden State, but did not play. * Forward Serge Ibaka sprained his left ankle in Game 2 of the Memphis Grizzlies playoff series, and re-aggravated the same injury in Game 3. This forced him to miss practice time on May 5, and limited his minutes in subsequent games.

Transactions

Overview

Trades

Free agency

Re-signed

Additions

Subtractions

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:2010-11 Oklahoma City Thunder Season Oklahoma City Thunder seasons Oklahoma City 2010 in sports in Oklahoma 2011 in sports in Oklahoma