ISTANBUL, Turkey -- Kevin Durant scored 24 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 95-82 victory over Fenerbahce Ulker of Turkey on Saturday in the first game of the NBA exhibition season. Chucky Atkins Jersey . Durant added eight rebounds in Istanbul, the city where he was MVP of the world basketball championship in 2010 when he led the U.S. to the gold medal. Serge Ibaka added 15 points, six rebounds and four blocked shots for the Thunder. Reggie Jackson, starting at point guard while All-Star Russell Westbrook recovers from knee surgery, had nine points and five assists. Bojan Bogdanovic, a former Nets draft pick, made four 3-points and scored 19 points for Fenerbahce Ulker. The Thunder move to Manchester, England, to play the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday. Terry Mills Jersey . - The Carolina Panthers believe Steve Smith lost "top-end" speed, a big reason the franchise parted ways with its all-time leading receiver. Grant Long Jersey . The Calgary skip fell 10-8 to Swedens Oskar Eriksson in semifinal action Saturday and will face Switzerlands Peter de Cruz for the bronze medal (Saturday at 10pm et/7pm pt on TSN2).Free agent starter Ervin Santana is close to finding a home for 2014. CBS Sports Jon Heyman is reporting that Santana will sign a one-year deal, likely in the next two days with one of a trio of suitors, with the Toronto Blue Jays believed to be heavily involved. Heyman reports that the Blue Jays and Orioles are the "clear favourites" to land the right-hander, who is believed to be seeking a one-year pact in the neighbourhood of the $14 million qualifying offer he rejected from the Kansas City Royals earlier this off-season. Another team - believed to be the Colorado Rockies - is also in the mix. Santana waited the entire off-season in hopes of landing a multi-year deal but when one failed to emerge, he altered his stance. Earlier this week he changed representation and is believed to now be seeking a one-year deal. He is also reported to prefer signing with a "top hitting team". The Dominican hurlers value has been hampered by rejecting said qualifying offer. As a reesult of that decision, the team that signs Santana will have to offer draft pick compensation to the Royals. Tony Snell Jersey. For most teams, that pick would be a first-rounder in this Junes MLB Draft. However, both the Blue Jays and Orioles would avoid said fate. The Blue Jays have two first round picks, but both are protected at ninth and 11th overall, respectively. Should the Jays sign Santana, the cost would be the forfeiture of their 50th overall pick. Baltimore, having already surrendered their 17th overall selection after signing Ubaldo Jimenez and their 55th overall pick by signing Nelson Cruz, would surrender the 91st overall pick were they to sign Santana. Santana posted a 9-10 record and logged 211 innings with the Royals last season and posted the lowest earned-run average (3.24) and second lowest WHIP (1.142) of his nine-year MLB career. He has posted a 105-90 career record averaging 7.1 strikeouts-per-nine innings in 268 total games with the Royals and Los Angeles Angels. ' ' '
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