|
 Durant shot 10-for-22 from the field and only 1-for-8 from 3-point
range as he scored at least 20 points for the 60th consecutive game.
Russell Westbrook added 26 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds.
Serge Ibaka scored 16 points to go along with nine rebounds for the
Thunder (53-23).
Playing without their five regular starters, the Clippers got a
career-high 32 points from Austin Rivers and 32 from Jamal Crawford.
Rivers shot 12-for-19 from the floor, 7-for-9 from 3-point range,
and handed out five assists. Crawford had seven assists, and Jeff
Green added 19 points for Los Angeles (47-28).
Rivers drained a 3-pointer with 7:30 left in the game to put the
Clippers on top 109-104. A pair of free throws from Durant closed
gap to three points.
 Westbrook ripped the ball from Rivers and then threw an alley-oop to
Durant. After Steven Adams threw down a dunk, the Thunder were back
in front 110-109.
However, Wesley Johnson answered with a 3-pointer to give Los
Angeles a two-point advantage. Adams missed a pair of free throws,
and Green made Oklahoma City pay by knocking down a 3-pointer from
in front of the Thunder bench.
With the Thunder trailing by three, Westbrook drained a long
3-pointer to tie the game. Rivers answered with a drive into the
paint and a shot over the Oklahoma City big men.
Westbrook tied the game with 1:20 left on a midrange jumper. A
Crawford miss led to a Durant 3-point attempt that was off the mark.
The Clippers came down with the rebound, but Westbrook got the steal
and gave the Thunder the ball with 37 seconds left.
[to top of second column] |
Westbrook took another jumper, but it was off. However, Adams
bullied his way in for the tip-in, handing the Thunder a two-point
advantage with 26 seconds left.
As the shot clock ran down, Rivers drove down the lane and lofted a
high shot off the backboard. The ball bounced off the rim, and
Westbrook skied for the rebound with 2.7 seconds to go to close out
the game.
The last time the Thunder faced a team that decided to rest its
starters was Saturday against San Antonio. They allowed the
undermanned Spurs to hang around and found themselves in a tight
contest for the entire first half, but Oklahoma City won 111-92.
[© 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2016 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
