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OKLAHOMA CITY -- Thunder fans who braved ice, snow and single-digit temperatures got a special treat -- a look at the old Russell Westbrook. The three-time All-Star scored 26 points to lead Oklahoma City past the Charlotte Bobcats 116-99 Sunday night. He was 10 of 12 from the floor in 25 minutes in his fifth game since returning from right knee surgery. He has steadily improved and is looking more like the player he was before he missed 27 games. "He was aggressive all night, playing downhill on the pick and rolls," said Thunder forward Kevin Durant, who finished with 28 points. "He was just great tonight. That was good to see." Westbrook said he needed time to get comfortable again. "The more I play, the more rhythm Im able to catch and the more rhythm Im able to get," he said. Reggie Jackson scored 17 points and Serge Ibaka had 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Thunder, who won their second straight after losing their first three games following the All-Star break. Oklahoma City outrebounded the Bobcats 44-29. Durant made just 8 of 24 field goals, but sank all 12 of his free throws. He also had six rebounds and five assists. "I get a lot of shots, man," Durant said. "Theres going to be nights when I feel like that. Its a part of the game, and I think thats the beauty of the game -- just trying to fight through the obstacles, do what I can to help my team." Al Jefferson scored 25 points and Anthony Tolliver added 17 for the Bobcats, who had won four straight before losses to San Antonio and Oklahoma City. The Thunder made 13 of 24 shots in the fourth quarter to outscore the Bobcats 31-18. Charlotte coach Steve Clifford said his team had the wrong mindset to close the game. "I think through three quarters we did a good job, but we came out in the fourth, and again, particularly when they brought their starters back, we just couldnt contain the ball and couldnt keep the ball out of the paint, which has been something weve been good at all year," he said. Westbrook scored 17 points on 7-for-7 shooting in the first half to help the Thunder take a 61-55 lead at the break. "He set the tone the first half," Clifford said. "He always plays with high energy, and if hes going to make all the shots, then theyre going to be hard to beat." Jefferson had 15 points on 7-for-9 shooting. The Bobcats shot 54 per cent in the first half, but were outrebounded 20-13. The Bobcats started off .... in the second half. A 3-point play by Gerald Henderson trimmed Oklahoma Citys lead to 61-60. The Thunder responded with a 6-0 run, including two putback baskets by Steven Adams, to take a 67-60 lead. Westbrook showed some of his explosiveness after a steal. He drove down court, then extended his right arm and elevated for a powerful one-handed throwdown to give the Thunder a 77-67 lead. "Tonight, he was phenomenal," Durant said. "He was great. That dunk capped it off." The Bobcats hung tough and trailed just 85-81 at the end of the third quarter. Charlotte cut the deficit to 86-84 early in the fourth quarter, but the Thunder responded with an 8-2 run. A perfectly executed pick-and-roll ended with Durant scoring on a pass from Westbrook, and Ibaka scored on the next possession to give the Thunder a 104-92 lead and put the game out of reach. Westbrook, who also had five assists, dominated from the start. "I thought Russell really had a great command of the game," Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks said. "I think it is good to see him continue to get his game legs under him. I give the staff a lot of credit. They have put him in a position to get better day by day." NOTES: Oklahoma City general manager Sam Presti announced before the game that Thunder guard Thabo Sefolosha would miss four to six weeks with a left calf strain. Sefolosha left Fridays game against Memphis in the first half and didnt return. ... Several Oklahoma City players, including Durant and Westbrook, travelled to Stillwater, Okla., Saturday night to watch Oklahoma State upset No. 5 Kansas. ... Presti said new acquisition Caron Butler will be with the team Monday after the Thunder signed him Saturday. ... Durant was called for a technical foul in the first quarter after being whistled for a carry and disagreeing with the call. David Andrews Patriots Jersey . - Quarterback Brady Quinn says he has been released by the Miami Dolphins. Cyrus Jones Patriots Jersey . The CFL club is making the move after holding its camp and regular-season practices at the University of Toronto campus in Mississauga, Ont. http://www.shoptheofficialpatriots.com/Elite-Dekoda-Watson-Patriots-Jersey/ . According to Yahoo! Sports, the team has reached a five-year deal to play their home games on the roof of the Plaza Hotel and Casino. Matt Flynn Patriots Jersey .com) - On the bright side, either the Minnesota Wild or Buffalo Sabres will end their losing streak on Thursday night. Terrance Knighton Patriots Jersey . -- Jacksonvilles offensive makeover is just getting starting. MINNEAPOLIS -- Texas Rangers ace Yu Darvish was scratched from his scheduled start at Minnesota because of neck stiffness he woke up with, and right-hander Scott Baker was summoned back from the bullpen to face his former team Tuesday night. It was yet another injury to a star player for the ailing Rangers, who entered the day with wins in five of their previous six games despite the persistence of health problems. "Just go play. Everyone still has a job to do. Weve lost a lot of good ballplayers, but weve also got a lot of good ballplayers out there," said manager Ron Washington, who learned of the latest setback around noon, seven hours before first pitch. The Rangers were hoping Darvish would be able to avoid the disabled list, but they were waiting for results of a precautionary MRI test on his neck, which was stiff enough in spring training to keep him from pitching for nearly three weeks and delay his season debut by one start until April 6. General manager Jon Daniels told reporters that Darvish said this injury didnt feel as bad as the last one, but given all the time the Rangers have spent in the training room this year they were proceeding cautiously. Baker, who was a second-round draft pick by the Twins out of Oklahoma State in 2003, spent five seasoons at the front of their rotation until an elbow injury forced Tommy John ligament replacement surgery in 2012.dddddddddddd Baker gave up six runs in six innings Friday at Detroit in his first start of the year but was intended to be moved back to long relief afterward. Against the Twins, he took the mound with three days of rest. Whether he stays in the rotation this time will depend, of course, on Darvishs status. The 27-year-old Japanese sensation is 4-2 in nine starts with a 2.35 ERA, the fourth-best in the league. He has 71 strikeouts in 61 1-3 innings. "If he can pitch Sunday, I want him to pitch," Washington said, acknowledging hed prefer Darvish not have to swing the bat or run the bases with the Rangers playing an interleague series at Washington. The Rangers will have to make a roster move Wednesday regardless, with left-hander Joe Saunders due to come off the disabled list and pitch against the Twins. Saunders has been out since April 4, when he was hit by a line drive on his left ankle in the fourth inning at Tampa Bay. Saunders suffered a stress fracture and made four rehabilitation starts in the minors this month. "Theres no limit on Joe. The Minnesota Twins are going to tell us how limited hes going to be," Washington said. Wholesale NFL Jerseys ' ' '