The AP reports: Jeff Green scored 26 points, including a turnaround jumper from 16 feet at the buzzer to lift Oklahoma City to a 122-121 win over the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night… Russell Westbrook matched his season high of 30 points while Durant added 27 points and 12 rebounds for the Thunder, who went into the game with the NBA’s worst record. The win is just the third in 20 road games for Oklahoma City (9-34) this season. Stephen Jackson had 29 points and seven assists for Golden State, which played without starting center Andris Biedrins (sprained left wrist). Corey Maggette added 26 points and six rebounds for the Warriors (13-30).
Category: OKC Thunder Blog
OKC Thunder blog – Oklahoma City Thunder basketball blog
Heat end long trip with 104-94 win over Thunder
The AP reports: Dwyane Wade’s legs were sore, Udonis Haslem had a bad back and Shawn Marion was too hurt to play. Even at the end of a seven-game, 12-day road trip, the Heat still had enough to pull through. Wade had 32 points and racked up most of his 10 assists while helping thwart Oklahoma City’s fourth-quarter rally as the Heat beat the Thunder 104-94 Sunday night to head home on a positive note… Yakhouba Diawara scored 14 points after starting in place of Marion (groin), and Jamaal Magloire and Mario Chalmers each added 13 points for Miami. Haslem had 11 points and a season-high 15 rebounds. Kevin Durant led Oklahoma City with 31 points, Jeff Green scored 22 and Russell Westbrook added 14 points and eight rebounds.
Thunder down Pistons 89-79 for consecutive wins
The AP reports: The Thunder haven’t looked this good since moving to town last year. The Pistons haven’t looked this bad since long before that. Kevin Durant scored 32 points as Oklahoma City recorded the first consecutive wins in its brief history, delivering a knockout punch with a 13-point run to start the fourth quarter in an 89-79 win over Detroit on Friday night… “We can’t be satisfied with these two wins that we just got. Yes, they were against good teams, but we can’t be satisfied,” said Jeff Green, who had nine points and 14 rebounds. “We’ve got to keep moving forward.” Chris Wilcox had 17 points and 11 rebounds in a rare extended appearance off the bench, and Desmond Mason added 11 points and 11 rebounds as the Thunder mounted a 52-35 rebounding edge. Prince and Richard Hamilton scored 18 each to lead Detroit, but Prince was injured and on the bench when Oklahoma City pulled away.
Thunder have new sponsor
The Oklahoma City Thunder have a new major corporate partnership.
One part of the deal will be that the sponsor get naming rights for the team’s practice facility.
The Thunder will announce full details Monday afternoon.
Nenad Krstic already helping Thunder
The Oklahoman (Darnell Mayberry) reports: It’s taken Nenad Krstic only five games to show Oklahoma City how much better he makes the Thunder. Krstic recorded his first double-double in Wednesday night’s 114-93 win over the Utah Jazz, scoring 14 points with 11 rebounds in a season-high 32 minutes. He added two blocked shots for the fourth time in five games, continuing to contradict his critics who have labeled him a defensive liability. “He’s a great addition,” said Kevin Durant, who scored 21 points with nine rebounds. “He’s getting used to everybody. Any player would take a couple of games, but he’s getting used to it quick. He’s learning quick, and he’s doing well.” Because of his relatively cheap three-year contract at just less than $16 million, Krstic was a low-risk addition when Thunder general manager Sam Presti lured him away from his Russian club team.
Thunder beat Jazz for 7th win
The AP reports: The presence of big man Nenad Krstic is beginning to pay off in a big way for the Oklahoma City Thunder. In just his fifth game since being signed away from a Russian league, Krstic had 14 points and 11 rebounds Wednesday night in helping the Thunder beat the Utah Jazz 114-93. Nine of his rebounds came at the defensive end as Oklahoma City outrebounded the Jazz 48-26… Jeff Green scored 23 points, Russell Westbrook added 22 and Kevin Durant had 21 for the Thunder, which won for just the seventh time this season but the fourth time in the past eight games… Deron Williams scored 25 points for the Jazz, which had a four-game winning streak ended. All of those came at home; this was the team’s fifth straight loss on the road. Kyle Korver had 14 points, but just two in the second half.
Lopez leads Nets to 103-99 OT win over Thunder
The AP reports: Rookie Brook Lopez scored a career-high 31 points and pulled down 13 rebounds to lead the Nets to a 103-99 overtime win on Monday. The Nets believed they had already won this one in regulation. Vince Carter caught a pass from Devin Harris and had the winning basket lined up with 9 seconds left, a shot that caught nothing but net from 3-point range. To the shock of everyone on the floor, the score was wiped out because Nets coach Lawrence Frank had run onto the court to call a time out… Carter finished with 21 points while Harris, back after missing three of the previous four games with a hamstring injury, had 17 points. Keyon Dooling had 14 points, most coming early in the fourth quarter as the Nets earned a fourth straight home win after starting the season 5-12 in New Jersey. Kevin Durant had 26 points for the Thunder, who fell to 6-33, and 2-17 on the road.
Thunder pull out 109-98 OT win over Bulls
The AP reports: Kevin Durant scored 28 points, Nick Collison added a season-high 21, and the Oklahoma City Thunder rallied to beat the Chicago Bulls 109-98 in overtime Saturday night… Trailing by seven midway through the fourth quarter, Oklahoma City had a chance to win it at the end of regulation. But with the score tied at 94, Durant a missed jumper from the top of the key, and Russell Westbrook missed a tip-in try… Chicago got 22 points from Ben Gordon, and 20 from Drew Gooden, who also had 12 rebounds. That gave him three straight double-doubles after missing eight games with a sprained ankle.
McGrady’s 28 lifts Rockets past Thunder 98-96
The AP reports: After losing three straight games to start a long road trip, the Houston Rockets are grateful for any road win—even a narrow one over the team with the NBA’s worst record. The Rockets blew a 15-point second-half lead, but Tracy McGrady capped a 26-point outing with two critical free throws with 8.2 seconds left as they edged the Oklahoma City Thunder 98-96 on Friday night… Houston’s Yao Ming struggled much of the game, not making his first basket until early in the third quarter, missing a dunk later in that quarter and committing two offensive fouls in the fourth quarter. The 7-foot-6 center finished 3-of-10 from the field and scored 14 points—well below his 19.8-point average—but nine of those came in the final 4:22… Russell Westbrook scored 15 points for Oklahoma City.
Foye, Wolves keep rolling over Thunder, win 129-87
The AP reports: Randy Foye matched his career high with 32 points in just three quarters and the Wolves won their fourth straight game, beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 129-87 on Wednesday night. “It’s just great to be talking about these wins,” said Foye, who also had six assists in the second most lopsided victory in franchise history… Al Jefferson added 21 points and 13 rebounds for Minnesota, which has won six of its last eight after that demoralizing 13-game skid dropped them to 4-23 on Dec. 23… Russell Westbrook had 16 points and a career-high 12 assists for Oklahoma City, which was overwhelmed in every phase of the game… Kevin Durant, who entered the night leading the Thunder in scoring at 23.9 points per game, scored a season-low nine points on just 3-of-13 shooting, the first time all season he’s been held under 12 points.