A season filled with championship hopes came to a quicker-than-expected conclusion for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

A chance collision with Houston's Patrick Beverley knocked All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook out for the rest of the postseason, and the Thunder never recovered. Kevin Durant tried filling the void almost single-handedly, but even the three-time scoring champion couldn't carry that heavy of a load.

After getting to the NBA Finals a year earlier, Oklahoma City's season ended in the Western Conference semifinals with a five-game loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. Durant said Thursday that every great team and player goes through tough times. The goal is still to win an NBA title.

Said Durant: "I'm not satisfied just being in this league and losing."