NBA scoring leader Kevin Durant netted 32 points to power the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 109-97 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday, in a showdown of the teams with the league’s best records.
Russell Westbrook added 26 points on nine-of-19 shooting, Serge Ibaka had 17 points and nine rebounds and Durant, who made 12 of 19 shots, added seven rebounds and seven assists for the Thunder, who improved to an NBA-best 33-9.
Durant managed only eight points in the first half, but seized command of the game in the second half to frustrate the injury-hit Clippers.
Photo: Reuters
“I just had to slow down and figure out how the defense was playing me,” Durant said. “I tried to get into a rhythm and in the second half I was able to make my shots. We came out hard and the bench played well and we got a good win on the road.”
Blake Griffin scored 31 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead the Clippers, who lost their second game in a row and fell to 32-11, falling to third overall in the NBA behind the Thunder and San Antonio (33-11).
Oklahoma City, who lost to Miami in last year’s NBA finals, again remains the team to beat in the Western Conference.
“I wouldn’t compare us to last year’s team,” Durant said. “We’re a resilient team. We bounce back from losses. We’re moving in the right direction.”
The Clippers, who agreed to a 10-year lease extension on Tuesday to stay at their home arena through the end of the 2023-2024 season, played without star guard Chris Paul, who was sidelined by a sore right knee.
“We knew they were playing well,” Durant said. “We didn’t want to take them lightly without Chris Paul.”
Chauncey Billups, Paul’s backcourt partner, was already sidelined by left-foot tendinitis.
An 8-0 Thunder run over the last 75 seconds of the first quarter evened the game at 22-22. Kevin Martin sank two three-pointers in the spurt for Oklahoma City.
The visitors then opened the second quarter with a 9-2 run in 1:55, Reggie Jackson’s jumper from the left side putting the Thunder ahead 31-24 to complete a combined 17-2 spurt by Oklahoma City over the cold-shooting Clippers.
Oklahoma City led 49-45 at half-time despite Griffin’s 16 points and eight rebounds in the first half. Westbrook led the Thunder in the first half with 12 points on five-of-11 shooting, while Martin added 11 points.
Thabo Sefolosha’s three-pointer for the Thunder capped a 13-4 run to open the second half that put Oklahoma City on top 62-49.
Oklahoma City began the third quarter by going five-for-five on three-point shots and finished the period with an 82-68 edge, but the Clippers scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter to halve their deficit.
Durant answered the challenge with back-to-back three-pointers, boosting the Thunder lead to 96-82 to help seal the Clippers’ fate.
In their only prior meeting this season, Oklahoma City won 117-111 in overtime at home in November last year.
The teams meet again in Los Angeles in March, but the Thunder have clinched victory in the season series — a tiebreaker should the clubs finish with the same overall record.
PISTONS 105, MAGIC 90
In Auburn Hills, Michigan, Jason Maxiell, Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe combined for 38 points and 28 rebounds as Detroit pulled away to beat undersized Orlando.
Brandon Knight led Detroit with 18 points, while Monroe scored 16, and Drummond and Maxiell each had 11 points and 11 rebounds.
The Pistons also finished with a 16-6 edge in offensive rebounds against the Magic, who had their size issues magnified when Glen Davis was benched for much of the second half after taking 15 first-half shots and grabbing just three rebounds. He attempted just one shot the rest of the way and finished with 11 points.
J.J. Redick was Orlando’s biggest threat, scoring 26 points on nine-for-10 shooting — including five-for-six on three-pointers. Jameer Nelson added 14 points and nine rebounds.
BUCKS 110, 76ERS 102
In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Ersan Ilyasova had 27 points and 16 rebounds, while Brandon Jennings scored 25 points as Milwaukee won for the sixth time in eight games since Jim Boylan replaced Scott Skiles as coach.
Monta Ellis added 18 points and 10 assists for the Bucks, who lost the last four before Skiles parted ways with the team.
Evan Turner scored 23 points to lead the 76ers, Spencer Hawes added 21 points and 12 rebounds, and Nick Young scored 20 points. Philadelphia lost their fifth straight on the road and 15th in their past 21 overall.
The Sixers cut the Bucks’ lead to 90-86, when Thaddeus Young stole the ball and scored on a breakaway layup with 6:47 remaining. Ilyasova made a free throw to extend Milwaukee’s lead to 99-92 with 3:56 left. He then hit a jumper with about 2:30 to go, stretching the advantage to nine points.
After Hawes’ baseline jumper trimmed the lead to 101-94, Milwaukee made four of six free throws in the final minute to seal the win.
CAVALIERS 95, CELTICS 90
In Cleveland, Ohio, Kyrie Irving scored 15 of his 40 points in the fourth quarter, including several key late baskets, to help Cleveland get back-to-back home wins for the first time this season.
Irving scored 11 points in the final 2:33 on four layups and three free throws as the Cavaliers sent Boston to their season-high fourth straight loss.
Irving shot 16 for 24 — setting a career high for field goals made — and fell one point short of his career-best scoring total, set in New York on Dec. 15.
Tristan Thompson added 21 points for the Cavaliers.
Rajon Rondo led Boston with 17 points, while Kevin Garnett scored 16. Paul Pierce, who scored 40 points in a 103-91 win over the Cavaliers in Boston on Dec. 19, finished with 12 points on three-for-15 shooting.
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