Westbrook leads Thunder past Pistons 92-90

[November 13, 2012]  AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) -- Russell Westbrook scored a season-high 33 points and keyed a fourth-quarter comeback as the Oklahoma City Thunder rallied to beat the winless Detroit Pistons 92-90 on Monday night.

The loss left the Pistons with an 0-8 record, the worst start in franchise history. It was the fourth game in five nights for the Thunder, who improved to 6-2.

Westbrook, who also had 10 rebounds and four assists, contributed six points -- all on free throws -- to a 13-0 Thunder run to open the fourth quarter that turned a 73-62 deficit into a 75-73 lead with 8:11 left.

Kevin Durant, who hit a tough runner with 47.8 seconds remaining that gave Oklahoma City an 88-85 advantage, added 26 points and nine rebounds.

Rodney Stuckey led the Pistons with 19 points and Greg Monroe had 17 points and six rebounds. His lay-in ended Detroit's fourth-quarter drought and tied it at 75 with 7:47 left.

The Pistons took a 62-51 lead on two free throws by Stuckey with 6:11 left in the third quarter before a timeout by the Thunder. After the timeout, Monroe's layup made it 64-51, the Pistons' biggest advantage to that point.

Detroit led 51-45 at halftime after leading by as much as 12 in the second quarter.

The Pistons' biggest advantage was 44-32 with 5:29 left in the first half after Jason Maxiell's layup capped a 10-2 run.

Oklahoma City cut the deficit to 47-45 after a 13-3 spurt was finished off by Durant's dunk with 2:27 remaining in the first half. Serge Ibaka (seven points) and Westbrook (four) accounted for the rest of that run for the Thunder.

NOTES: Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks was asked if the Lakers' surprise hiring of Mike D'Antoni as coach would affect how the Thunder viewed their Western Conference rivals. "That doesn't change how we look at them at all," Brooks said before the game. "We focus on our team and our development and how it plays out." ... Maxiell blocked two of Durant's shots. He stopped a dunk attempt late in the first half and swatted a layup out of bounds with a little more than 3 minutes left in the third quarter. ... G-F Corey Maggette (left calf strain) was inactive for Detroit.

[Associated Press; By PAUL HARRIS]

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