Thunder Complete Season Sweep Of Warriors
OKLAHOMA CITY (CBS / AP) -- James Harden scored 25 points, Kevin Durant added 23 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, and the Oklahoma City Thunder completed a season sweep of the Golden State Warriors with a 110-87 win Friday night.
Russell Westbrook scored 18 points for Oklahoma City, but the All-Star point guard left the game with 1:13 left in the third quarter with what the team said was a sprained right ankle. He didn't return.
But the Thunder improved to 23-7, the best record in the Western Conference, with their third win over the Warriors in 22 days.
David Lee led Golden State with 23 points. Monta Ellis, who scored 48 points the last time the teams played, had 11 in this one. Ellis went down moments after Westbrook, with 17.1 seconds left in the third quarter. The Warriors said Ellis suffered a hyperextended right knee, but could have returned if the game hadn't been so lopsided.
Oklahoma City, which shot 52.7 percent from the field, improved to 6-1 in games played after a loss. The Thunder had lost 96-95 at Houston on Wednesday.
A 16-2 first-quarter run gave the Warriors a 24-17 lead and Golden State was up 39-36 with 5:28 left in the first half when the Thunder scored 10 straight points.
Oklahoma City had three consecutive dunks during the run—first a one-hander by Durant, followed by an alley-oop from Durant to Harden and capped by a steal and one-handed jam by Westbrook that gave the Thunder a 46-39 lead. Oklahoma City stretched that margin to 58-48 by halftime.
Durant and Serge Ibaka opened up the second half with baskets for the Thunder and Golden State never cut the margin below double digits. Back-to-back 3-pointers by Royal Ivey and Durant fueled an 8-0 run to end the third quarter and put Oklahoma City up 84-65.
During that run, Westbrook steamed down the court after a steal before pulling up in the lane with 1:13 left in the quarter and hobbling off the court. Ellis' injury occurred right in front of the Warriors' bench.
Dorell Wright, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson each scored 11 points for Golden State, playing the first game in a stretch during which the Warriors will play eight of nine games on the road. Wright added 11 rebounds. The Warriors shot 34.8 percent from the field (31 of 89).
The Thunder went 10 of 24 from 3-point range, led by Durant (3 of 3), Harden (4 of 7) and Ivey (3 of 7).
Notes: Harden's 25 points were one off his career high. ... The Thunder played without two starters, both listed as day-to-day— center Kendrick Perkins (right knee contusion) and guard Thabo Sefolosha (right foot pain). In place of Perkins, veteran Nazr Mohammed started for the first time this season, while Daequan Cook replaced Sefolosha. ... Before the game, Durant confirmed he's splitting from his longtime agent, Aaron Goodwin. Durant said he appreciates what Goodwin has done for him "but it was time for me to move on." Durant signed with Goodwin's Seattle-based Goodwin Sports Management when he entered the NBA draft in 2007 after his freshman season at Texas. Goodwin helped negotiate Durant's five-year, $86 million contract that Durant signed in July 2010. ... Former Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon, a two-time Biletnikoff Award winner, attended the game.
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