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Oklahoma City Thunder forward Carmelo Anthony plans to opt in and take the $28 million he is due next season.

The New York Times first reported the 34-year-old Anthony’s decision to bypass the chance to become a free agent. A person with knowledge of details confirmed Anthony’s choice to The Associated Press on Friday night. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the situation publicly.

The Thunder traded for Anthony and Paul George to join Russell Westbrook before last season [url=http://www.cowboyscheapauthenticstore.com/leighton-vander-esch-jersey-cheap]Leighton Vander Esch Jersey Cowboys[/url] , moves that gave them high hopes of challenging Golden State in the West. It didn’t work out as planned.

The 34-year-old Anthony had been the headliner his entire career – he’s 19th in NBA history with 25,417 points – but he was more of a catch-and-shoot scorer last season instead of the isolation specialist he had always been. He averaged 16.2 points per game, but struggled at times in his new role. His playing time dwindled in the playoffs and he wasn’t happy. In Game 6 of the first-round playoff series against Utah that ended Oklahoma City’s season, he played fewer minutes than backup Jerami Grant.

It wasn’t entirely clear if Anthony would opt in. After the season, he said he prefers to play with the ball in his hands more and said coming off the bench is ”out of the question.”

”So it’s something I really have to think about, if I really want to be this type of player, finish out my career as this type of player, knowing that I have so much left in the tank and I bring so much to the game of basketball,” he said.

Despite his confidence, the 10-time All-Star posted career lows in scoring average and field goal percentage last season. Thunder general manager Sam Presti said at the end of the season that he doesn’t expect Anthony’s role to change.

”I give him an enormous amount of credit for the fact that he put both feet in,” Presti said. ”I personally think he did an excellent job in his first year transitioning his game [url=http://www.authenticsdallascowboys.com]Cowboys Elite Jerseys[/url] , working to becoming more of an off-the-ballplayer, being more reliant on other people to generate his offense, and sacrificing a lot. At the same time, I think every player is entitled to take a step back after the season, reflect on the year they had, and in his case have to make a determination about whether or not this is a role that he wants to continue to be functioning in.”

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In a showdown of All-Star sluggers, Nelson Cruz had more RBIs, but J.D. Martinez had more help.

Martinez homered and drove in five, and the Boston Red Sox rallied from a five-run deficit to beat the Seattle Mariners 14-10 on Friday despite a monster night from Cruz.

Cruz had a pair of three-run homers and drove in seven, but the Mariners still lost their season-worst fifth straight game, including three earlier this week at Yankee Stadium. Seattle led 4-0 and 10-5 before a wild Red Sox rally fueled by RBIs from eight different players.

”That’s some fight. We’ve got a great group in here and that was a good one for us [url=http://www.chicagobearsteamonline.com/tarik-cohen-jersey]Authentic Tarik Cohen Jersey[/url] ,” said Mitch Moreland, who had three hits including a triple as the Red Sox set a season-high with 20 hits.

Martinez went 4 for 5, including a two-run homer in the sixth and two doubles as he and his teammates avenged a 1-0 loss at Seattle against Wade LeBlanc six days earlier. LeBlanc started again Friday but did not fare so well in Boston.

”He pitched a great game against us last time. We all had a little chip on our shoulder coming into today,” said Martinez, who has 23 homers.

Reliever Matt Barnes (1-2) got the win with one scoreless inning, and Craig Kimbrel pitched the ninth.

Juan Nicasio (1-4) took the loss, allowing five runs on four hits in one-third of a lousy seventh inning.

”We were in control after a crazy first inning. We banged it around and they banged it around some, but our guys kept tacking on there. Just couldn’t hold them off at the end,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said.

The only flaw to the second half of the game for Boston: shortstop Xander Bogaerts left in the seventh with a sprained index finger on his left hand.

After Cruz put Seattle up 3-0 in the first with his 19th home run, Ryon Healy added a solo shot during Seattle’s four-run first inning as the Mariners got to knuckleballer Steven Wright. Seattle added two more off Wright in the second after Boston’s five-run bottom of the first.

Despite allowing 10 runs on 10 hits, Wright got a no-decision.

”I might go buy a lottery ticket now because that never happens [url=http://www.eaglescheapshops.com/cheap-authentic-richard-rodgers-jersey]Authentic Richard Rodgers Jersey[/url] ,” Wright said.

Seattle scored four in the fourth, including Cruz’s second shot of the game, but Boston’s bullpen shut down Seattle the rest of the way while the Mariners’ imploded.

”Tough one,” Cruz said. ”It’s a shame because the pitchers have been doing a really good job. They’ve been throwing the ball with consistence, but it happens.”

Rafael Devers singled in a run in the fifth, and then Martinez homered off Nick Vincent to center in the sixth to pull Boston within 10-8. Mitch Moreland followed with a triple just beyond the reach of diving right fielder Mitch Haniger, and Bogaerts drove in Moreland with an infield single

Barnes struck out the side in the seventh, and then Boston got to Nicasio. Devers singled to lead off, Blake Swihart singled with one out and Nicasio walked Mookie Betts to load the bases. Andrew Benintendi blooped a single into shallow center to bring in Devers and tie it at 10.

Swihart was nearly picked off third as Benintendi scored, but he slid under the tag after a strong throw by center fielder Guillermo Heredia. Seattle did not challenge the close play, and Martinez followed with a two-run single.

Nick Rumbelow later allowed Benintendi to score on a wild pitch [url=http://www.jetscheapstore.com/sam-darnold-jersey-cheap]Sam Darnold Youth Jersey[/url] , and Eduardo Nunez added a pinch-hit RBI single.

BIG BATS

The Red Sox have come from behind in 22 of their 51 wins. The 14 runs tied their season scoring high and the 20 hits were four more than they had in a game this season.

”It was a weird game,” Benintendi said. ”It’d be easy to give up in that situation and just kind of coast through the game, but we kept fighting and putting good at-bats together all throughout the lineup.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mariners: Activated RHP Vincent (strained right groin) from the 10-day DL and optioned RHP Ryan Cook to Triple-A Tacoma.

Red Sox: Benintendi needed a minute to collect himself after running hard into the Green Monster on a double by Denard Span.

UP NEXT

Mariners: RHP Mike Leake (7-4, 4.47 ERA) gets his second straight start against the Red Sox after taking the loss Sunday in Seattle, allowing five runs on eighth hits in six innings.

Red Sox: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (9-1, 3.59) has won a career-high six straight starts, including Boston’s 9-3 victory over the Mariners in Seattle on Sunday.

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