OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) The way Kevin Martin describes it, the Oklahoma City Thunder lost the "vision" of a potential championship run the morning they learned All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook would be out for the rest of the postseason.

Despite fighting to the end in a series of narrow losses to Memphis, the Thunder's season - which seemed so promising even when the playoffs began - is over much sooner than expected following a five-game loss in the Western Conference semifinals.

After making it to the NBA Finals a year earlier, Oklahoma City claimed the No. 1 seed in the West and was the favorite to make it back and challenge the Miami Heat for the title.