Dein erstes Forum » Durant will have strong suitors

STANFORD, Calif. -- Stanford returned to the basketball court Friday night after as many as eight of its players completed final exams in the morning.I didnt have the guts to play a high-level Division I team today, coach Jerod Haase said after his Cardinal beat Division II Cal State East Bay 79-55.Reid Travis powered his way to 24 points and 13 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season and Stanford (7-3) made its first seven shots from the field to take charge from the start.Haase said scheduling a Division II opponent after a 13-day break for exams made sense for his team.Finals is a real thing here. The guys are exhausted, he said. We had guys show up for our (12:45 p.m.) shoot around after pulling all-nighters.After a tough finals week its good to have a game like this where we can just work on getting better, senior Grant Verhoeven said. There was a lot out there that wasnt pretty at our end of the court.Travis shot 9 for 10 from the field, playing just 22 minutes. Dorian Pickens added 11 points for Stanford, which shot a season-best 55 percent, including nearly 70 percent in the first half.Cal State East Bay played one night after beating Cal Poly Pomona 78-69 on the road in a Northern California Athletic Conference game. The Pioneers (8-2) counted the Stanford matchup as an exhibition.Whenever you have an opportunity to play a university like this, you have to do it, Pioneers coach Guy Argenal said. For our guys, its learning how to play against the highest competition.Pierre Carter scored 14 points for Cal State East Bay, which shot 29.7 percent.BIG PICTUREStanford: Haase said the Cardinal had just five full practices during its 13 days off for exams. I didnt expect perfect play out there, he said. There were certainly some positives, but theres also a lot of room for growth. Stanford plays twice more before opening Pac-12 play at home against Arizona State on Dec. 30.Cal State East Bay: The Pioneers lost for the third time against a San Francisco Bay Area opponent in a game they designated as an exhibition. Previously, they fell 96-80 to San Jose State and 75-50 to Santa Clara.STAT OF THE NIGHTStanford won easily despite shooting 1 for 7 from the perimeter. The Cardinal scored 42 points in the paint, so perimeter shooting wasnt a priority. But Stanford is converting just 28.7 percent from beyond the arc this year. The 3-point shot has to be part of our offense, Haase said. We have to be more efficient than we have been.UP NEXTStanford: The Cardinal travels to face SMU (8-3) on Monday. The Mustangs already have faced one Pac-12 opponent, losing 78-73 to USC.Cal State East Bay: The Pioneers return to Division II competition Monday when they hosts Cal State Los Angeles in a California College Athletic Association game. 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Sullingers 20-20 was the first by a Celtics player since Kevin Garnetts first game in Boston in 2007. Garnett was dealt -- along with Paul Pierce -- to Brooklyn during the off-season. OKLAHOMA CITY -- Kevin Durant started his free agency tour in a familiar place.Durant met with the Thunder on Thursday, hours before he officially hit the market.Video from Fox 25 in Oklahoma City shows Durant arriving at Chesapeake Energy Arena and being greeted by general manager Sam Presti.Durant still hasnt made it clear whether hes going to stay with the Thunder or chase a title elsewhere.The NBA has been anticipating Durants decision for more than a year, as rarely does such an accomplished player become a free agent in his prime. The 2014 MVP and four-time scoring champion led the Thunder to the NBA Finals in 2012, and to the Western Conference finals in four of the past six years -- and hes only 27. He recovered from a broken bone in his right foot that cost him much of last season to post one of the best years of his career.Staying with Oklahoma City makes sense for Durant. The Thunder had a 3-1 lead on the Warriors before losing the next three games. Durant and the Thunders young core could make a move in the West, provided that the youngest emerging stars -- Steven Adams and Enes Kanter -- continue to improve at their rapid pace. The Thunder made a draft night trade and sent forward Serge Ibaka to Orlando for guard Victor Oladipo, forward Ersan Ilyasova and draft pick Domantas Sabonis, strengthening the teamss depth and shoring up a question mark at shooting guard.ddddddddddddBut Durant will have strong suitors, as reports say he will meet with Golden State, San Antonio, Miami, Boston and the Clippers in the coming days.Durant can maximize his earning potential by re-signing a contract with the Thunder that allows him to become a free agent again next year, then signing a longer deal when the salary cap takes another big jump. The Thunder will be able to pay him the most in the long term.Shortly after the season ended, Durant spoke as though hed be back.Are we going to work on our game and come back even better, or are we going to be excited about what we did? Durant said. Be complacent, or are we going to want more? I think thats the next step for us all -- thinking of how we can all be better.Durant said he would limit outside influences before making his choice.Ive got to just hear from me and hear what I want, and talk to myself on what I need and how I can make this thing work for myself, and just try to be a little selfish, he said. Obviously, Im going to have some advice, but also, I want to make the decision thats best for me.---Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/CliffBruntAP. ' ' '