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Durant hit a floater in the first two minutes on Monday night and
had a strong showing from that point forward while leading the
Oklahoma City Thunder to an impressive 111-89 blowout win over the
Utah Jazz at Vivint Smart Home Arena.
"It felt good," Durant said. "I was a little winded, playing up in
Utah."
He sure took the air out of Utah.
Durant showed no signs of rust after missing the past six games with
a strained hamstring. The superstar scored a game-high 27 points,
punishing the Jazz from inside and out. He hit 10 of 13 shots from
the field and 3 of 6 from 3-point range.
"It's just like he never left," Thunder guard Russell Westbrook
said. "Obviously, he is one of the best scorers in the world and he
can get a bucket."
Westbrook didn't have as much of a load to carry in this game as he
has had, but the Thunder guard continued his strong play with 20
points, nine assists and seven rebounds.
The Thunder, who went 3-3 in Durant's absence, improved to 9-6
overall and 3-3 on the road.
"I think our medical team does a great job. No one is going to put
Kevin Durant out there when he's not 100 percent ready to go,"
Thunder coach Billy Donovan said. "He's worked hard to get himself
back. I give Kevin a lot of credit for that. He really gets himself
prepared to play every game."
Forward Gordon Hayward was one of the only Jazz players to have a
decent game. He scored a team-high 19 points and had four assists.
"We got outplayed in every way tonight," Hayward said. "It's
unacceptable. It's embarrassing."
Utah, only playing its fourth home game, fell to 6-7. The Jazz have
another road game on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Clippers
before their first homestand of more than one game.
"That is a very talented team. They are also very connected because
they have played together for some time," Jazz coach Quin Snyder
said of the Thunder.
"We have been on the road a long time. This is basically another
(road) game. I am not making excuses, but we flew and we play, we
fly again, and we play. I don't feel like we have had energy and
focus that we need to have."
Only two other Jazz players scored in double figures aside from
Hayward -- power forward Derrick Favors (11 points, seven rebounds)
and center Rudy Gobert (10 points).
Utah shot just 38 percent from the field for the game compared with
Oklahoma City's blistering 55 percent.
Durant scored 11 points in the first quarter, including a dunk that
ignited a game-changing surge for the Thunder. His bucket with 4:44
remaining in the first quarter trimmed the Jazz's early lead to
14-11.
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Oklahoma City then outscored Utah 40-26 in the second quarter to
take control of a game the Jazz failed to make competitive. Durant
had back-to-back 3-pointers during that run.
Guard Alec Burks tied the score at 23 early in the second quarter,
but Oklahoma City scored eight straight and never looked back.
The Thunder got nice games from bench players Anthony Morrow (15
points) and Dion Waiters (12 points, six assists).
Oklahoma City dominated inside and out, hitting 11 of 27 3-pointers
and outscoring Utah 44-38 in the paint.
Gobert left the game in the second half with a tailbone contusion.
He didn't play again after suffering the injury but was made
available.
"Aside from putting them on the free throw line and a couple of
offensive rebounds, I think we were perfect defensively," Durant
said. "They shot 37 percent and that's what we want."
NOTES: Thunder F Kevin Durant credited his team's medical staff for
helping him get to the point where he could return from a hamstring
injury that kept him out for six games. "I did the work that the
trainers wanted me to do and I see those results. I'm excited I'm
playing again," Durant said in his pregame interview. "The trainers
did a good job the last week and a half just pushing me and getting
me better." ... Former Jazz C Enes Kanter took a measured approach
in comments to Utah media before Monday's game, unlike last March
when he ripped his former organization after he was traded to the
Thunder. "I think maybe I was a little harsh. But I just want to
make it clear I had no problems with any of the players or any of
the fans. I respect the guys and I think they helped me out a lot in
my career." ... Thunder coach Billy Donavan was picked by the Jazz
in the third round (68th overall) of the 1987 NBA Draft. He was cut
by Utah before the regular season and later played one year for the
New York Knicks.
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