February 2, 2010
NBA- Oklahoma City beat Golden State 112-104; Durant shines with 45 points
By Ally White
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant boasted his best scoring of the season as he led his team to a 112-104 victory over the Golden State Warriors this past Sunday Night. Durant made 45 points in the game; guard Russell Westbrook seconded with 28. The win brought the Thunder (26-21) a second consecutive victory, although the team is still situated in fourth place in the Northwest Division, behind the Denver Nuggets, Utah Jazz, and Portland Trail Blazers.
Golden State, on the other hand, suffered its fifth loss, dropping to last place in the Pacific Division with a record of 13-33.
In the first quarter, both teams added back and forth baskets, tying the score on three occasions. However, Oklahoma had a 7-point run that put the score in its favor, 25-18, with 3:24 left. But Warriors player Corey Maggette scored several free throws and a shot at the end of the quarter that cut the difference to three points, 29-26.
In the second quarter, the Warriors spent the first minutes trying to steal the lead from the Thunder by exchanging several baskets, but Oklahoma was far too effective in its scoring. Nevertheless, the Warriors’ CJ Watson and Stephen Curry offered a layup shot and a three-pointer, respectively, that gave the team the lead 45-40 with 5:20. The team just barely managed to keep the lead at the end of the quarter. First Oklahoma tied the score 52-52 with 58.2 seconds left, then took the advantage 54-52 with a basket from Thabo Sefolosha. But the Warriors managed to stay afloat when Monta Elis added a three-pointer to regain the lead, 55-54.
Oklahoma entered the third quarter focused on recovering its lead; Durant led his teammates to a 10-0 run, gaining a 15-point lead (85-70) with 2:28 left. A bad run in the final minutes of the third left the Warriors down by 12 points, 87-75.
In the last quarter, Oklahoma focused on maintaining its lead, while the Golden State tried desperately to close the score. The Warriors managed to get within 3 points of their rivals, 107-104, but Durant and Westbrook took 5 free throws in a row in the final seconds to close the game 112-104.
At the end of the game, Thunder coach Scott Brooks praised the Warriors’ offense, remarking that the Golden State was a difficult team to beat while commenting on his team’s powerful defense in the last quarters. It was the defense that gave the Thunder the win.
“That's a tough team to defend,” Brooks said of the Warriors. “They play three little guards, really four at times, they love to run and they try to get you caught up in playing their game. We only played defensive basketball for eight or nine minutes but that third quarter gave us the cushion we needed.”
Despite the rocky third quarter, Golden State coach Don Nelson praised his team’s hard work, pointing to mistakes and missed shots in the third quarter that led to the loss.
“We had a terrible third quarter, but we still found a way to get back into the game. We played good enough to stay close but not good enough to win again. It's beginning to be an old story," stated Coach Nelson.
The best scorers for the Oklahoma City Thunder were Kevin Durant with 45 points and 11 rebounds; Russell Westbrook with 28 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds; Thabo Sefolosha with 14 points and 7 rebounds; and ultimately Jeff Green with 14 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists. For the Golden State Warriors the best scorers were Corey Maggette with 26 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists; Monta Ellis with 25 points and 3 rebounds; Stephen Curry with 14 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds; and finally CJ Watson with 13 points and 3 rebounds.
About the Author
Ally White is a top senior copy writer on NBA games and sports action for the online sports betting site: http://www.instantactionsports.com
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