NBA | Ex-Sonics compete for Oklahoma City

ORLANDO, Fla. — The uniforms arrived in time, black mesh with white stripes along the sides, the words "Oklahoma City" across the front of the jersey and atop a simple NBA logo.

Around the bench, there was barely any Sonics green or gold in sight.

With that, Oklahoma City's latest basketball story line started.

Less than a week ago, these players would have been called the Seattle Sonics. These days, they are from Oklahoma City, team nickname to be announced. And Monday, in the first game of the Orlando Pro Summer League, the former Sonics franchise took its first steps along the road of relocation, in a glorified scrimmage for rookies and other young pros.

"It's all happened so fast," said Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City's rookie point guard from UCLA who was the fourth player taken in last month's draft. "It's something you have to live with. It happened so fast. I'm very excited to be in the position I am now."

Westbrook scored 18 points as Oklahoma City lost to the Indiana Pacers 95-78.

Earl Calloway scored 16 points for the Pacers, who scored the game's first eight points and never trailed.

But that is not why this game might be remembered.

Other than green trim on the sneakers of Westbrook and Ronald Dupree, and one person on the Oklahoma City bench wearing a pair of Sonics game shorts, the team bore no resemblance to the one that would have been here representing Seattle. Kevin Durant, last season's NBA rookie of the year, was there to cheer his quasi-teammates on, wearing a simple white T-shirt and the black shorts, not the Seattle gear fans in the Pacific Northwest bought over the past 12 months.

"Personally, I didn't think we would move this soon," Durant said. "I settled in Seattle, bought a house with my mom. We moved out there with my family. That was my home. But it's a part of the business. We've got to get up and move.

"I'm looking forward to playing in a new city with new fans, and we'll see what happens."

Second-year pro Jeff Green took the first shot for Oklahoma City and clanged it off the rim 43 seconds after tipoff; he finished with a game-high 21 points.

The team's first basket was scored 2:15 into the first quarter by D.J. White, who was drafted by Detroit, traded to Seattle and is seeking to play in Oklahoma City.

"Wherever we play," White said, "I think this is a great opportunity."

It's not as if he, Westbrook or anyone else has much choice in the matter.

Team owner Clay Bennett settled a lawsuit by the city of Seattle on Wednesday by agreeing to pay the city as much as $75 million to break a KeyArena lease.

Oklahoma City is Bennett's home.

"I'm very excited to be a Sonic," Westbrook said on draft night.

And now?

Well, Westbrook sounded excited to be, um, something.

"I don't know what," he said.

Note

• Miami Heat rookie Michael Beasley, a former Kansas State standout, scored 28 points in 23 minutes, lifting the Heat past the Chicago Bulls 94-70 in another Orlando Pro Summer League game. Beasley was the second player taken in the draft — after Bulls guard Derrick Rose, who played college ball at Memphis.

"Could have played better," Beasley said of his game. "Could have got a couple more assists, made a couple extra passes, got a couple more rebounds, could have got a couple stops early on."

Rose finished with 10 points, four assists and five turnovers. Beasley indicated he wasn't paying much attention to the hype surrounding the matchup of rookies. "You can put the Jolly Green Giant out there," Beasley said. "I'm going to still play, man."