MEMPHIS, Sporting Alert – Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook will sit out Oklahoma City Thunder preseason game at the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night, reports Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman.
Durant, who averaged 12.7 points per game from his three outings in preseason, will skip the fourth warmup to get some rest.
The 27-year-old, who is returning from a broken leg that sidelined him for eight months, averaged 21-minutes per game in the current exhibitions.
After scoring 15 and 13 points, respectively in the opening two games, Durant shot just 4 of 12 from the floor in the last outing against the Dallas Mavericks for 10 points, but said he is feeling good and his off night was just something every player goes through.
Westbrook, who led the team in scoring at the BOK Center with 19 points in 20 minutes in the 100-88 victory over the Mavericks on Tuesday night, is leading the club in preseason in points per game, at 16.3 and assists per game, at 6.7.
The star point guard has also been given the night to rest.
With the top pair out of this clash, the likes of Dion Waiters, Anthony Morrow, D.J. Augustin and Steve Novak could see bigger roles.
Durant and Westbrook are expected to return for Sunday’s game against the Denver Nuggets at Chesapeake Energy Arena.
Oklahoma City, who has won all three of its games thus far in preseason, will take on a Memphis side which is also 3-0 in exhibitions in 2015.
Center Marc Gasol is leading the Grizzlies in points and rebounds per game in preseason.
Gasol is scoring 13 points and grabbing six rebounds per contest in warmups this term.
He posted a 2015 exhibition high 23 point on 8 of 12 shooting from the field, with six rebounds in a win over Maccabi last week.
In the last outing against the Cleveland Cavaliers in a 91-81 win, Gasol scored 10 points with a preseason-high four turnovers.
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