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 The Thunder star hit a deep 3-pointer with 1.9 seconds remaining
in double-overtime, capping a game-high 51-point outing as Oklahoma
City stretched its winning streak to three games with a 119-118 win
over the Toronto Raptors Friday night.
The Raptors went on a 6-0 run to take a 118-110 lead with 49 seconds
remaining.
Durant hit a 3-pointer with 47 seconds left to pull the visitors to
within five.
Then with 15 seconds remaining, guard Derek Fisher, who was 1-for-7
from 3-point range prior, hit his shot from deep making it a
two-point game.
Raptors guard John Salmons then missed twice from the line setting
up Durant's shot with less than two seconds remaining.
"We couldn't go another overtime. So I had to live with whatever
happened," said Durant, of his game-winning shot. "We had to get out
of there. I wasn't trying to go to another overtime. It looked good
when it left my hands. God guided that thing into the basket."
With the win, the Thunder went a perfect 3-0 on their three-game
road trip and have now won five of six. They also split the season
series with the Raptors after losing the only other meeting in
December.
"Down eight with a minute and half to go, a missed free throw late
in the game and we won? Two guys foul out, Russell's out, back to
back, if you want to add everything into it. Craziest game," said
Durant.
Durant went 14 of 19 from the line and 15 of 32 from the field.
Durant has now scored 25-plus points in 34 straight games, the
longest streak in the NBA since Michael Jordan reached 25 points in
40 straight games during the 1986-87 season.
Guard Reggie Jackson scored 25 points and 12 rebounds in 42 minutes
off the bench for his first career regular-season double-double.
"(Durant) made two unbelievable shots, one banked in to close it
out," said Raptors coach, Dwane Casey. "We have an eight-point lead,
we have to close it out; whether it's free throws, making a bucket,
just closing it out is what we have to do."
Added Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan: "You have to give it to KD, he
hit a tough shot."
It was a costly win for Oklahoma City, however, as guard Russell
Westbrook left the game in the third quarter after spraining his
surgically repaired right knee.
The Thunder (51-18) led 72-71 after three quarters, but the mood in
the game noticeably changed 4:24 into the third when Westbrook and
Raptors guard Kyle Lowry bumped knees while Lowry was attempting to
block a Westbrook 3-point shot.
Westbrook was immediately favoring his right knee, which has been
operated on three times. Teammates helped Westbrook to the dressing
room and he did not return.
"I just kind of stepped back and Kyle, you know, playing defense
just tried to reach for the ball," said Westbrook of the play. "When
you've been hurt before, you get nervous. Tomorrow ... we'll get it
looked at and we'll go from there."
Westbrook, who finished 5-for-13 from the field and 1-for-4 from
3-point range while picking up 15 points in just over 19 minutes,
said he doesn't expect to miss any time due to injury.
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"We just got to believe everything is all right," said Durant. "He's
walking around so it seems like everything is going to be all
right."
DeRozan scored 33 points to lead the Raptors.
Toronto (38-30) dropped to 1-6 in overtime this season and 16-6 at
home since Dec. 28. The Raptors committed six of their 20 turnovers
in overtime. Toronto has lost back-to-back home games for the first
time since losing three straight Nov. 27-Dec. 1.
Lowry forced double-overtime hitting a shot from deep with 7.4
seconds remaining and tying it at 107 in the first overtime.
Lowry and center Amir Johnson finished with 25 points each.
Oklahoma City used a 10-2 run to open an 82-75 in the fourth
quarter. Toronto responded with a 9-2 run of its own to take a 90-89
lead late in the quarter.
The Raptors opened the second quarter on an 8-0 run to take a 28-22
lead. The Thunder was 0-for-7 from the field during the run.
After an Oklahoma City timeout, Raptors guard Greivis Vasquez laid
it in off the window, extending the run to 10-0.
The Thunder pulled to within one, 30-29, with a 7-0 run of their
own, capped by a 3-pointer from Fisher.
Westbrook ended the first half by draining a shot from deep, sending
the Thunder to the break trailing 46-42.
The Raptors used a 6-2 run to open a 17-14 lead with 3:41 remaining
in the first quarter.
Durant went just 2-for-8 from the field in the first quarter but
scored the Thunder's final five points, giving Oklahoma City a 22-20
lead after one quarter.
NOTES: Raptors C Amir Johnson played in career game No. 500 on
Friday night. ... Toronto C Jonas Valanciunas returned to the
starting lineup after missing Wednesday's game in New Orleans with a
lower-back sprain. ... Oklahoma City entered the game 1 1/2 games
back of San Antonio for the top spot in the Western Conference. ...
Toronto came into Friday night's action with a 2 1/2-game lead on
the Brooklyn Nets for the top spot in the Atlantic Division but just
a half-game up on the Chicago Bulls for the third seed in the
Eastern Conference.
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