hiladelphia, who filed the first lawsuit on behalf

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Kevin Durant insists he cant do it alone. The Oklahoma City forward said hes going to need help picking up the slack, with running mate Russell Westbrook out until after the All-Star break following knee surgery Friday. "I need Reggie Jackson. I need Serge Ibaka. I need Kendrick Perkins. Im not afraid to say that," Durant said. "I need to lean on those guys, just like we need to lean on each other. That is what team is about. So through adversity we just have to lean on each other." But at least on this night, the Thunder leaned heavily on Durant, especially down the stretch. Durant scored 14 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter and finished with 12 rebounds as the Thunder held on to defeat the Charlotte Bobcats 89-85 Friday night. The team announced before the game that Westbrook will miss at least 27 games after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in Los Angeles. Durant did get some help. Ibaka had 12 points and nine rebounds and Thabo Sefolosha had 12 points and a pair of free throws with 3.5 seconds left to seal the victory for the Thunder, who have won seven straight road games and 11 of 12 overall. But Jackson, who started in place of Westbrook, was only 4 of 19 from the floor and Perkins failed to score despite playing more than 25 minutes. "Obviously, it was an emotional day with Russell, but I thought we did a good job of handling that," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. "Now weve got to work and improve the rest of the season." As for Jackson, Brooks said he has confidence that "hell get better. Hell challenge himself to shoot better and he will." Kemba Walker led the Bobcats with 18 points and seven assists. Al Jefferson added 16 points and 11 rebounds. This one came right down to the wire. After tailing most of the game, Charlotte had a chance to steal the win with 3.9 seconds left but Josh McRoberts missed a wide-open 3-pointer from the left wing. Sefolosha was fouled and clinched it with two foul shots on the other end. Bobcats coach Steve Clifford wasnt satisfied with his team taking one of the leagues best teams to the wire. "This may surprise you, but I didnt like at all the way we played," Clifford said. "I didnt like our defence. Our attention to detail was not good at all. The things we talked about this morning that we had to do, we did a poor job with. We gave them baskets. Our effort on the glass was not anywhere it needs to be." The Thunder led 76-74 with 5 minutes remaining when Durant knocked down a pair of 3s to give Oklahoma City the momentum. He added a step-back jumper and a driving layup to push the advantage to 86-78. But Anthony Tolliver hit a 3-pointer and Walker converted a breakaway layup to cut the lead to three with 49 seconds left. Durant left the door open when he missed a pull-up jumper with 25 seconds left, and the Bobcats grabbed the rebound. Instead of going for a 3-pointer to tie, Walker drove the lane and scored on a layup that cut the deficit to one. Jackson was fouled on the inbounds pass and hit one of two free throws with 10.7 seconds to go, setting up a chance for McRoberts. "I think Ibaka ran down there to cover Kemba and I got a wide-open look at it," McRoberts said. "Ill take that shot every time. Were frustrated we lost. There are no moral victories." The surprising news on Westbrook came just two days after he had a triple-double against the New York Knicks. General manager Sam Presti said in a news release that Westbrook has been playing pain-free, but "recently had experienced increased swelling" in his right knee. Westbrooks knee problems began in April when he tore his meniscus in the second game of the Western Conference playoffs. He had a second arthroscopic surgery before training camp. Oklahoma City is 21-3 with Westbrook in the starting lineup and 3-2 without him. "He was playing great basketball, probably some of the best basketball in the entire league," Brooks said. "Were looking forward to him coming back and getting back to the level that he has played at -- and he will." NOTES: The Bobcats embark on a five-game road trip beginning Saturday night in Atlanta. ... Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton and wide receivers Steve Smith, Brandon LaFell and Ted Ginn Jr. attended the game. ... The Thunder are 11-1 in their last 12 games against the Bobcats. Cheap New Jersey Devils Jerseys . The 23-year-old Woods, Tiger Woods niece, closed with a 4-under 69 at Royal Pines to finish at 16-under 276. Lee also shot 69 in the event sanctioned by the European and Australian tours. Woods birdied the par-5 15th to open a two-stroke lead, hitting a wedge from about 120 yards to 4 feet. Cheap Devils Jerseys . Webb birdied the 18th hole to take the outright lead, then watched as Choi, who shot a course-record 62 on Saturday to take a share of the third-round lead, pushed a 10-foot putt wide of the hole at 18 to miss the chance for a playoff. http://www.cheapdevilsjerseys.com/ . 5 Trade Deadline isnt that far away and teams will be making decisions on whether to buy, sell and decide which players can make the biggest difference and hold the greatest value. Cheap Devils Jerseys China . -- The Tampa Bay Lightning are disappointed, though not discouraged. Cheap Adidas NHL Jerseys . -- Tony Finau won the Stonebrae Classic on Sunday for his first Web.PHILADELPHIA -- The NFL agreed to pay more than three-quarters of a billion dollars to settle lawsuits from thousands of former players who developed dementia or other concussion-related health problems they say were caused by the very on-field violence that fueled the games rise to popularity and profit. The settlement, unprecedented in sports, was announced Thursday after two months of court-ordered mediation and is subject to approval by a federal judge. It came exactly a week before the first game of the 2013 season, removing a major legal and financial threat hanging over the sport for two years. U.S. District Judge Anita B. Brody in Philadelphia is expected to rule on the settlement in two to three months but said it "holds the prospect of avoiding lengthy, expensive and uncertain litigation, and of enhancing the game of football." More than 4,500 former players, some of them suffering from Alzheimers disease or depression, accused the NFL of concealing the long-term dangers of concussions and rushing injured players back onto the field, while glorifying and profiting from the bone-crushing hits that were often glorified in slow motion on NFL Films. "Football has been my life and football has been kind to me," said former Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Dorsett, one of at least 10 members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame who filed suit since 2011. "But when I signed up for this, I didnt know some of the repercussions. I did know I could get injured, but I didnt know about my head or the trauma or the things that could happen to me later on in life." The settlement applies to all past NFL players and spouses of those who are deceased -- a group that could total more than 20,000 -- and will cost the league $765 million, the vast majority of which would go to compensate retirees with certain neurological ailments, plus plaintiffs attorney fees, which could top $100 million. It sets aside $75 million for medical exams and $10 million for medical research. Individual payouts would be capped at $5 million for men with Alzheimers disease; $4 million for those diagnosed after their deaths with a brain condition called chronic traumatic encephalopathy; and $3 million for players with dementia, said lead plaintiffs lawyer Christopher Seeger. "We got what we wanted, lets put it that way," said Seeger, who noted that settlement discussions began more than a year ago. The settlement does not include an admission from the NFL that it hid information from players about head injuries. Commissioner Roger Goodell told pro footballs lawyers to "do the right thing for the game and the men who played it," according to a statement by the league. Goodell was not made available for comment. The NFL takes in revenues of more than $9 billion a year, a figure that will rise when new TV contracts start in 2014. In addition to Dorsett, the plaintiffs include Super Bowl-winning quarterback Jim McMahon, who suffers from dementia; former running back Kevin Turner, who has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrigs disease; and the family of All-Pro selection Junior Seau, who committed suicide last year. Turner, who played for the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles, predicted that most of his peers would support the settlement. "Chances are ... I wont make it to 50 or 60," said Turner, now 44. "I have money now to put back for my children to go to college and for a little something to be there financially." All former NFL players are eligible to seek care, screening or compensation, whether they suffered a documented concussion or not. The amounts they receive will be based on their age, condition and years of play. They do not need to prove that their health problems are connected to playing football. Players lawyers said they expect the fund to cover the ex-athletes expenses up to age 65. Current players are not covered and, therefore, theoretically could bring their own lawsuits at some point. "All of those experts said this would be a 10-year process, but I personally believe both sides did whatever they had to, to help retired players -- and at the same time, to not change the game of football as we know it," said Craig Mitnick, one of the players lawyers.dddddddddddd If the settlement holds, the NFL wont have to disclose internal files that might reveal what it knew, and when, about concussion-linked brain problems. "I think its more important that the players have finality, that theyre vindicated, and that as soon as the court approves the settlement they can begin to get screening, and those that are injured can get their compensation. I think thats more important than looking at some documents," said lawyer Sol Weiss of Philadelphia, who filed the first lawsuit on behalf of former Atlanta Falcon Ray Easterling and a few others. Easterling later committed suicide. Sports law experts had thought the lawsuits might cost the league $1 billion or more if they went to trial. The NFL had pushed for the claims to be heard in arbitration under terms of the players labour contract. The league had also argued that individual teams bear the chief responsibility for health and safety under the collective bargaining agreement, along with the players union and the players themselves. Dorsett said each day is getting harder for him, as he struggles with memory problems. "Its frustrating. Frustrating. And to have a 10-year old daughter who says to her mother, Daddy cant do this because Daddy wont remember how to do it, its not a good feeling," he told The Associated Press. "Im glad to see theres been ... acknowledgment that football has had something to do with a lot of the issues us players are going through right now." In recent years, a string of former NFL players and other athletes who suffered concussions have been diagnosed after their deaths with CTE, including both Seau and Easterling. While some of those who sued suffered brain ailments, others were worried about future problems and wanted their health monitored. "Im relieved; I dont know about pleased. There are probably too many details to work through that we dont all understand yet, quite frankly. But Im relieved that both sides came together to protect the game we all love and help the players of the past and tomorrow. And to especially help those who need help right now, who have cognitive issues and those whose quality of life has been taken away," said Mark Rypien, the MVP of the 1992 Super Bowl for the Washington Redskins. He has dealt with depression and memory problems. "Its a good day, because were getting help for those who need help," Rypien said, "and a sad day, because we didnt get this done earlier to help guys in the past." Researchers at the Boston University Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy, who have been examining brains of deceased NFL players, praised the $10 million set aside for research. The lawsuits, along with a growing awareness that concussions can have serious long-term effects, have already spurred research into better helmets and changed the way the game is played. Helmet maker Riddell, which was also sued, was not a party to the settlement. The company declined comment. The NFL has also instituted rule changes designed to eliminate hits to the head and neck, protect defenceless players, and prevent athletes who have had concussions from playing or practicing until they are fully recovered. Independent neurologists must be consulted before a player can return to action. One key rule change that takes effect this season bars ball carriers from using the crown of the helmet to make contact with defenders. "We thought it was critical to get more help to players and families who deserve it rather than spend many years and millions of dollars on litigation," NFL Executive Vice-President Jeffrey Pash Executive Vice-President Jeffrey Pash said in a statement, the only comment issued by the league. "This is an important step that builds on the significant changes weve made in recent years to make the game safer." 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