NBA-Thunder fire head coach Brooks after missing playoffs

April 22 (Reuters) - The Oklahoma City Thunder fired coach Scott Brooks on Wednesday after the injury-hit team failed to reach the playoffs this season for the first time in six years. Brooks, 49, had guided Oklahoma City to three appearances in the Western Conference Finals and a trip to the 2012 NBA Finals but they missed out on this postseason after finishing ninth in the highly competitive West with a 45-37 record. "This is an extremely difficult decision on many levels," Oklahoma City general manager Sam Presti said in a statement. "Scott helped establish the identity of the Thunder and has earned his rightful place in the history of our organization through his seven years as a valued leader and team member. The Thunder missed reigning NBA most valuable player Kevin Durant for most of the season due to ongoing problems with his surgically repaired right foot. (Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by Frank Pingue)