SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Tony Parker swished the buzzer-beater and unleashed a cathartic scream. Under the basket, Kevin Durant stood frozen in disbelief.
Throw in the trade that sent James Harden to Houston, and that's two stunners for the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first week of this NBA season.
Parker sank a 21-footer as time expired and the San Antonio Spurs won a thrilling rematch of the Western Conference finals, beating Oklahoma City 86-84 on Thursday night without having to chase around Harden this time.........
The Thunder are starting anew with newcomers Kevin Martin and Jeremy Lamb, who along with draft picks, are what the Thunder got in exchange for their third-leading scorer. Small-market Oklahoma City wasn't willing to offer Harden a maximum contract, and the No. 3 overall pick in the 2009 draft wouldn't accept its lesser offer.
By Wednesday, Harden had agreed to a five-year, $80 million extension with the Rockets. That night, he stepped into Houston's starting lineup and became the first player in NBA history to have more than 30 points and 12 assists in a debut with a new team.
Asked before Thursday's game whether the second-guessing had begun, Brooks didn't linger on the topic.
''He's played good basketball. He had a good game,'' Brooks said. ''We're real focused on our group, our guys and moving forward.''
Westbrook, who took responsibility for losing Parker on the screen on the game's final play, acknowledged the first game without Harden didn't feel the same.
''It was definitely odd not playing and practicing with him,'' Westbrook said. ''But we still need to find a way to win.''.......
