With the reigning MVP sidelined, Russell Westbrook has taken it upon himself to keep the Oklahoma City Thunder afloat in the crowded Western Conference race. Westbrook and the Thunder will have to get by without Kevin Durant again Friday when they host the Charlotte Hornets. The Hornets have won a season-best four straight games but have dropped seven straight in the series and six in a row at Oklahoma City.
Westbrook overcame a slow start — he began 1-for-8 from the field — to finish with 34 points, 11 assists and five steals in Thursday's 114-106 win at San Antonio, his 10th straight game with at least 25 points. "You've just got to rally behind him," Thunder guard Anthony Morrow told reporters. "He's a leader, natural-born. He comes out there and plays hard." Charlotte, which is three games out of eighth place in the East, is 3-11 against Western Conference teams, including a 1-5 mark on the road.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, SportSouth (Charlotte), FSN Oklahoma
ABOUT THE HORNETS (10-19): Charlotte has hit its stride offensively of late, scoring 100 or more points in a season-high five straight games. Kemba Walker (16.9 points, 5.7 assists) has led the charge, topping 20 points in five of the past six games including 27 in Wednesday's 108-101 win at Milwaukee. The Hornets also have turned up the pressure at the defensive end, holding opponents to 42.2 percent from the field during the winning streak.
ABOUT THE THUNDER (14-16): Oklahoma City's season has been derailed by injuries, but the Thunder pulled out an impressive road win against the Spurs to get within two games of the No. 8 spot in the West. Westbrook (28.6 points, 7.4 assists, 5.8 rebounds) wasn't the only one to come up big on Christmas Day, as second-year center Steven Adams (7.9 points, 7.5 rebounds) racked up 16 points and a career-high 15 rebounds and Serge Ibaka (14.4 points, seven rebounds) added 21 points and nine boards. The Thunder shot 51.9 percent against the Spurs, only the fourth time this season they've topped 50 percent.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Charlotte's winning streak has coincided with the absence of guard Lance Stephenson, who is rumored to be on the trade block and is expected to miss his fifth straight contest with a pelvic sprain.
2. Adams has recorded double-digit rebounds in four straight games and seven of his last nine.
3. The Hornets are 1-15 when they are outrebounded while the Thunder have won the battle on the boards in 18 of their 30 games.