Thunder 110, Nets 99
OKLAHOMA CITY -- Kevin Durant scored 30 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 110-99 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday at the Chesapeake Energy Arena.
Durant shot 11 of 18 from the field to go along with five assists and six rebounds in his second game back from a hamstring strain. Guard Russell Westbrook added 27 points, 13 assists and six rebounds as the Thunder won their third straight game to improve to 10-6.
Center Brook Lopez paced the Nets with 26 points and eight rebounds. Forward Thaddeus Young chipped in with 18 points on 9-of-15 shooting. The Nets dropped to 3-12.
Brooklyn tied the game at 83-83 midway through the fourth quarter on a center Andrea Bargnani's layup. At the next dead ball, Durant and Westbrook reentered the game and that started a run for the home team.
It included 3-pointers by guard Dion Waiters and Durant, who pulled up from 35 feet with a defender in his face. Oklahoma City led 94-85 with 6:15 left in the game.
Even after a Brooklyn timeout, the Thunder continued to pour it on. Forward Serge Ibaka threw down a baseline dunk, Durant hit another step-back 3-pointer and Waiters buried a 3-pointer from the corner.
Lopez tried to slow the Thunder's momentum with a series of jumpers, and Young scored on a fast-break layup to get the Nets within 104-93.
Ibaka hit a pair of free throws and Westbrook picked up a steal and layup to push the advantage to 108-93. That was enough to hold the Nets off the rest of the way.
Brooklyn won the rebound battle 45-42. But the Thunder had seven blocked shots and 11 steals.
Durant was active from the start. That included a backward lay-in off an alley-oop pass from Westbrook and a two-handed dunk off a drive through the lane.
Nonetheless, Brooklyn held a first quarter lead behind Lopez. With center Steven Adams guarding him, Lopez stayed on the perimeter and knocked down midrange set shots.
NOTES: Without F Kevin Durant in the lineup, Oklahoma City is averaging 103.0 points on 43.7 percent shooting from the field. Those numbers increase to 114.3 points and 49.3 percent in games Durant played before Wednesday. ... Brooklyn rookie G Rondae Hollis-Jefferson has made an impression on his teammates. "He's done very well," F Thaddeus Young said. "He's gone out there and done everything we've asked him to do. He's been very, very active on the glass, very active defensively. He's just all over the court. That's what we need him to be, all over the court to win games." ... Thunder G Russell Westbrook was named to the Ebony Magazine Power 100 on Tuesday. The list salutes remarkable achievements in the Black community, specifically to be an honoree in the "Master Teachers" category, which recognizes leaders in education.