Durant and Westbrook lead Thunder over Blazers

[November 05, 2010]  PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook both had 28 points and 11 rebounds and the Oklahoma City Thunder rebounded from a loss the night before to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 107-106 in overtime on Thursday night.

LaMarcus Aldridge led the shorthanded Trail Blazers with 22 points, while Brandon Roy had 19.

Roy missed two key jumpers at the end of regulation and the Blazers could never catch up after the Thunder pulled ahead in overtime.

James Harden gave the Thunder a 103-100 lead in the extra period with a layup and a free throw. Andre Miller missed a layup for Portland but Roy hit two free throws with 40.7 seconds left.

Durant missed a jumper from the top of the key and the Blazers couldn't get the rebound. Nicolas Batum was forced to foul Durant, who hit two free throws with 13.7 seconds to go.

Wesley Matthews' attempted layup rested on the edge of the rim before falling away, thwarting Portland's chance at a three-point play. After his free throw, Westbrook hit two foul shots for the Thunder.

Armon Johnson hit a 3-pointer with .1 seconds left for Portland.

The Thunder struggled on Wednesday night in a 107-92 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, who held Durant to just 16 points. Before that, Oklahoma City was blown out at home by Utah.

There was a contingent of fans who wore SuperSonics jerseys, including one still bitter about the Thunders' move from Seattle who hoisted a large sign reading: "Homeless."

Before the game Portland center Fabricio Oberto abruptly retired because of a prior cardiac condition that caused heart palpitations.

Oberto, in his sixth year in the NBA, was signed by the Blazers a day before the start of the season to help the Blazers while centers Joel Przybilla and Greg Oden heal from knee surgeries.

Oberto experienced dizziness in Portland's game against Milwaukee on Tuesday.

The Blazers also announced Thursday that rookie guard Elliot Williams would have surgery to repair a dislocated right patella and would likely miss the season.

And swingman Rudy Fernandez sat out the game with back trouble. That gave the Blazers only 10 healthy players for the game.

The Thunder went on a 9-0 run midway through the second quarter to take a 43-38 lead, but Portland came back to go ahead 58-51 at halftime.

Aldridge hit a jumper that put the Blazers up 68-55 in the third, their biggest lead of the game.

The Thunder closed within 81-79 on Harden's jumper to start the final quarter, then tied it on Durant's fadeaway.

Serge Ibaka of the Thunder tied the game with 10.2 seconds to go, and Roy missed a long jumper -- this one from just inside the arc -- to send the game into overtime.

NOTES: The Blazers held a moment of silence before the game to honor Maurice Lucas, former assistant coach and forward for Portland's 1977 NBA championship team who died Sunday of cancer at age 58. The Blazers will also wear No. 20 on their uniforms this season in memory of Lucas, known as "The Enforcer" during his 12-year NBA career. ... Coach Nate McMillan said the Blazers would look to see who is available to help the Blazers at center in light of Oberto's retirement.

[Associated Press; By ANNE M. PETERSON]

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