Sefolosha helps Thunder rout Phoenix again, 97-69

[February 11, 2013]  PHOENIX (AP) -- Thabo Sefolosha made a career-high 5 of 7 3-pointers and the Oklahoma City Thunder routed the Phoenix Suns for the second game in a row 97-69 on Sunday night.

The 28-point blowout followed a 127-96 Thunder romp over the Suns in Oklahoma City on Friday night.

Russell Westbrook scored 24 points in 28 minutes in the Thunder's 10th straight victory over Phoenix, the longest active streak for any Suns opponent.

Sefolosha added 20 points, two shy of his career high. Kevin Durant scored 18, 11 below his NBA-leading season average (29.1), in limited duty in the Thunder's fourth straight win, none of them by fewer than a 21-point margin.

Markieff Morris was the only Phoenix player in double figures with 12.

Wesley Johnson's tip-in with 7.8 seconds to play prevented the Suns from setting a franchise scoring low, a mark that has stood for nearly 32 years. Phoenix scored 68 at Kansas City on March 8, 1981.

Durant was just 1 for 5 shooting in the first quarter but Oklahoma City still led 27-16. The Thunder scored the last eight in the quarter, including a pair of 3s from the corner by Sefolosha. Sefolosha made another one to start the second quarter, capping the run at 11-0 and putting Oklahoma City up 30-16.

Phoenix crawled back, cutting it to 35-32 on P.J. Tucker's rebound basket, but the Thunder scored the next nine, including another 3 for Sefolosha, and it was 45-32.

Oklahoma City finished the half with a 16-2 run, Westbrook's 3 at the buzzer putting the Thunder up 51-34.

To start the third quarter, Sefolosha scored, Durant dunked and the rout was on at 55-34. Oklahoma City led 74-48 after three.

The biggest lead was 35.

Sefolosha had four 3s, in five attempts, by halftime to tie his career high for a game, set four times, most recently two nights earlier in the rout of the Suns. He broke it with a 3 in the second half.

Phoenix shot 33 percent to Oklahoma City's 45 percent.

The Thunder made 20 of 27 free throws while the Suns went to the line a season-low five times, making all of them.

The seven fouls by the Thunder were the fewest ever for a Phoenix opponent. The previous mark was eight set just under 38 years ago.

Oklahoma City, improving to 16-9 on the road, has won its past four by 21, 21, 32 and 28 points.

NOTES: The Thunder were without Kevin Martin because of the flu. ... The Suns last beat the Thunder on Dec. 19, 2010, in Oklahoma City. Their last win over the Thunder in Phoenix was on March 14, 2009. ... Oklahoma City has two games before the All-Star break -- Tuesday night at Utah, then home against Miami on Thursday. The Suns have one before the break, at the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday. ... Oklahoma City's most one-sided victory this season was 114-69 over Charlotte on Nov. 26. The Suns' most one-sided loss was 117-77 at Detroit on Nov. 28.

[Associated Press; By BOB BAUM]

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