Durant’s big game leads Warriors past Thunder
Kevin Durant poured in 34 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and Damian Jones had two key baskets in the final two minutes as the Golden State Warriors outlasted the Oklahoma City Thunder 111-107 on Tuesday at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Okla.
The game meant nothing to the Warriors in the big scheme of things, as they have already clinched the Pacific Division and have garnered the second seed in the Western Conference. But Durant took the game personally, as he does with every matchup with his former team, and it showed.
Russell Westbrook (44 points and 16 rebounds) and Paul George did what they could to keep the Thunder close, with the two combining for 11 points in the final three minutes. Westbrook's layup with 13 .7 seconds to play brought Oklahoma City to within 109-107 but Draymond Green canned two free throws, and Carmelo Anthony and George missed 3-pointers within the final sequence.
Oklahoma City needed to win on Tuesday to keep it's standing in the bunched group now holding the fourth through eighth seeds in the Western Conference.
Klay Thompson added 20 points for the Warriors and Quinn Cook hit for 12 as Golden State outshot the Thunder 49 percent-38 percent. The Warriors bench outscored Oklahoma City's reserves 38-14. Stephen Curry missed his sixth straight game with a knee injury.
George added 20 points, Anthony had 12 and Corey Brewer scored 10 for the Thunder. Steven Adams grabbed 13 rebounds for Oklahoma City.
Durant poured in 24 points in the first half as Golden State led 57-47 at halftime. Thompson added 11 points over the first two quarters and the Warriors outshot Oklahoma City 54 percenr-34 percent.
Westbrook did all he could to match Durant in the first half, pouring in 18 points and taking eight rebounds while George hit for 13 points in the half.
Oklahoma City heads to Western Conference champion Houston on Saturday for its next game; Golden State stays on the road and will play at Indiana on Thursday.
--Field Level Media
