
Portland guard Rudy Fernandez won the final spot in this year's slam dunk contest at All-Star Weekend, beating out Thunder rookie Russell Westbrook by garnering more on-line votes by the fans, according to a report in The Oregonian.
"It is what it is," Westbrook said. "You want to win, but it's out of your control." Fernandez, who also beat out Milwaukee's Joe Alexander, will join Orlando's Dwight Howard, Memphis' Rudy Gay and New York's Nate Robinson.
DURANT PROTECTING SHOULDER
Kevin Durant injured his left shoulder Friday against Detroit. He had an X-ray before Sunday's game against Miami, but team officials are listing the injury as a contusion. Durant played with a padded undershirt beneath his jersey, protecting both shoulders. He cut off the pads on the right shoulder at the start of the second quarter.
Thunder OUTHUSTLED
Coach Scott Brooks and several players said the effort was "OK" but gave credit to the Heat for playing harder.
"We had energy in spurts," Durant said. "The difference was we had energy the entire game against the previous two teams (Utah and Detroit). Tonight, we brought it in the third quarter and some of the fourth, but we need to bring it all game."
LONG-RANGE TROUBLE
Miami tied a season high by hitting 11 3-pointers. That might be a normal game for Orlando and San Antonio, but when the Heat is scoring behind the arc, it's usually a long night.
MLK ACTIVITIES
Thunder players will be involved in Martin Luther King Jr. Day events throughout the day. Staff members will carry a Thunder MLK banner in the silent march this morning. Chucky Atkins and TV analyst Grant Long will represent the team at the bell ringing ceremony at the Oklahoma History Center.
D.J. White, Kyle Weaver and Westbrook will ride in a horse-drawn carriage during the parade this afternoon. Damien Wilkins and his foundation also will be represented. The Thunder drum line and Thunder girls will be in the parade.
FAST BREAK...
Nick Collison, who regained five pounds Saturday and Sunday by eating pizza, returned to the starting lineup after missing one game with the stomach flu. ... Joe Smith (cyst on his knee) sat out the fourth consecutive game. ... A group of 100 University of Texas alumni from the OKC area posed for a picture with Durant on the court after the game.