May 13, 2013; Memphis, TN, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) drives between Memphis Grizzlies forwards Tayshaun Prince (21) and Zach Randolph (50) at the FedexForum. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

The Memphis Grizzlies rallied from a 17-point deficit in the first half to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 103-97 in an overtime thriller to take a 3-1 series lead. It was a must-win game for OKC, and they stumbled short of that goal.

For the Thunder, Kevin Durant lead with 27 points and seven boards, and Serge Ibaka and Reggie Jackson contributed with 17 and 15 points, respectively. Kevin Martin came off the bench and played well, adding 18 points in the effort.

Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol and Mike Conley all had 20-plus point games, 23, 23, and 24 respectively. Conley was particularly ridiculous behind the arc in the first half, knocking down his first three attempts from deep.

OKC played first quarter extremely well, taking a 29-18 lead at the end of the first and closing on a 14-2 run. It was the first time in this series that there has been a double-digit lead after the first quarter.

In particularly exciting series of events, a Thunder block led to fast break, that resulted in Reggie Jackson’s pass getting tipped. He then recovered the ball and dished it to Durant who put it up from behind the arc and sank the tre ball.

OKC lead by as many as 17 in the first half, but the Grizzlies clawed back in it to bring the deficit to just eight points, 56-48, at the break.

Memphis scored the first four points in a row in the second half and brought it within four, but OKC responded with an 8-0 run to take over the lead 64-52.

But the Grizzlies would not succumb to hibernation so easily.

They surged back against the Thunder early in the third quarter to make it a two-point game, and the FedEx Forum absolutely came alive, while the Thunder were struggling to find answers for the sudden burst of life from their opponent.

Memphis tied it at 72 with a pair of free throws from Gasol, with under two minutes to play in the third quarter. Nick Collison put the Thunder back on top with a made pair of free throws, but Memphis was on the offensive still.

The game got very close and gritty at the end, and the Grizzlies and Thunder slugged back and forth, re-taking the lead from each other for the majority of the fourth quarter.

Kevin Durant, with 10 seconds left, drove straight to the basket and finger-rolled it in to tie the game at 94-all. Memphis had a chance to win it with six seconds left, but Perkins made a huge defensive play: he prevented Randolph from getting off a good last shot, which sent Game 4 into overtime.

Two years ago in the playoffs, OKC and Memphis went to three overtimes in Game 4, with the Thunder ultimately being the victors. This time, it would be Memphis that won in overtime.

Memphis scored the first four points in OT to take their largest lead of the night, 98-94. OKC responded, but did not have enough in the tank to overtake the Grizzlies for a final time. Throughout this series they have consistently struggled down the stretch, and as a result they find themselves in a 3-1 hole before going back home.

Oklahoma City needs to find a solution to Memphis’ endurance, or they will find themselves bounced from the playoffs much sooner than they anticipated.

Game 5 is slated to take place Wednesday, May 15, at Chesapeake Arena.

May 11, 2013; Memphis, TN, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant (35) sets the play against Memphis Grizzlies power forward Zach Randolph (50) in game three of the second round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at FedEx Forum. Mandatory Credit: Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports

The Memphis Grizzlies took a 2-1 series lead over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday evening when they powered past them in a tight game to win 87-81.

Through three games, this series proves to be one of the most consistently competitive–but oftentimes, ugly–of this semi-final round in the 2013 NBA playoffs.

For Memphis, Marc Gasol had a gem of a game, scoring 20 points and having nine rebounds. Mike Conley and Tony Allen each dished out 14 points in the winning effort as well.

Kevin Durant–who has been putting the team on his shoulders since Russell Westbrook went down in the first round–led the team with 25 points and 11 rebounds, while Reggie Jackson helped out with 16 points of his own. Serge Ibaka also played reasonably well, with 13 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks on the night.

Durant was ice cold in the fourth quarter though–he only made one basket, and missed a pair of free throws that could have helped OKC tilt this one in their favor.

The Grizzlies and the Thunder kept it close from the opening tip-off until the final buzzer, though on a few occasions, Memphis did get their lead up to ten points. The Thunder surged back each time, and even tied it at 81 with a minute to go. It was Gasol–who had 16 of his 20 points in the second half alone–that delivered the dagger, when he sunk his free throws with 1:03 left to play to put the Grizzlies up for good. When OKC resorted to fouling to extend the game, the Grizzlies responded by nailing all six free throw attempts, and ultimately secured their win

It was an ugly game, but for Memphis it meant remaining perfect at home in the postseason.

The Thunder and the Grizzlies will clash again in Game 4 on Mon., May 13, in what is sure to be another struggle for the win.

May 1, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) handles the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Reggie Jackson (15) and Thunder guard Thabo Sefolosha (2) during the first half in game five of the first round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Houston Rockets did everything right on Wednesday right, playing cohesively and intensely to force Game 6 back in Houston with the Oklahoma City Thunder after beating them 107-100 on the road. The Rockets dominated from wire to wire, leading 30-26 at the end of the first quarter and rarely relinquishing the lead throughout the rest of the game. With their win, they pull the series 3-2.

For the Rockets, James Harden–who was battling flu-like symptoms but showed nothing of it–led with 31 points and made seven straight shots from deep.

Kevin Durant had 36 points in the losing effort, and the significance of Russell Westbrook to this team was really felt when no one else really stepped up to aid Durant in this contest.

Houston led by as many as 16 before staving off a rally that Oklahoma City scrounged up with an interesting ploy: the Hack-Asik.

The Thunder played sloppily for four straight quarter, and even when they could muster together a string of made shots, Houston had an answer at every turn.

With five and a half minutes to play in the fourth quarter, the Thunder began relentlessly fouling Omer Asik, a 54-percent career foul shooter. He made 8-of-12 attempts, and put Houston up 101-92 with nearly four minutes left before OKC dropped the tactic.

With the loss, OKC now must travel back to Houston for Game 6, a critical match-up now, as the Thunder could very easily let this series slip away from them now that they are playing without Westbrook.

These two teams will square off again on Fri., May 3 at the Toyota Center at 9:30 p.m. EST.

Apr 29, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets shooting guard Carlos Delfino (10) takes a shot against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second quarter in game four of the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs at the Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Houston Rockets met for Game 4 of this NBA Playoffs Series on Monday night, and the Rockets avoided the sweep, winning 105-103 in a thrilling match up.

OKC took on the Rockets without Russell Westbrook (knee) and Houston had to play without Jeremy Lin (chest), so many wondered how this one would ultimately shake down without these two dynamic players. Surprisingly, it ended up being one of the most captivating, competitive matches of this series.

For the Thunder, Kevin Durant led with 38 points and Reggie Jackson added 18 more, and for Houston, Chandler Parsons was just shy of triple-double figures, having 27 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists.

Houston started the game on a roll, shooting out to a 13-4 lead. They led for the first time in this series at the end of the first quarter, 29-24.

The Thunder went on a huge run in the second quarter, leading in scoring 15-5 in the first five minutes. They maintained a 10-point lead for most of the second quarter, absolutely silencing the Toyota Center. The big play for OKC came when Reggie Jackson seamlessly went from playing defense to offense: Thabo Sefalosha stripped the ball from Harden, and Jackson pounced on it. In the next moment, he was striking down the open court and laying it in for two.

Derek Fisher had a solid first half as he stood in for Westbrook, doing what he does best: sailing shots from behind the arc and knocking down all of them. He was 3 for 3 from the 3-point line, and helped push OKC’s lead to double digits.

But the Rockets were determined not to exit the Playoffs so soon. Carlos Delfino hit two clutch threes late in the first half, both of which cut OKC’s lead from 13 to only seven going into the break. James Harden on the other hand was ice cold, having more turnovers (seven) than points (six) in the first half.

After the break though, the Rockets played liked a completely different team.

The Rockets outscored the Thunder 38-24 in the third quarter, even taking a thirteen-point lead and completely dominating the Thunder after the break. Beverly scored nine of his 16 points in this quarter alone, including two three-pointers.

When Houston went on its run to give them a double-digit lead, the exclamation point came when Delfino stole the ball away from Martin and strode down the court from an invigorating dunk over Durant that brought the home crowd to its feet. Houston took an 85-75 lead.

The Thunder played a particularly sloppy game on Monday night: Houston scored 28 points off 17 OKC turnovers, and that bad ball-handling was most prevalent during the third quarter, when the Rockets made the game theirs.

OKC did close the quarter much better than it starting, closing the gap to 91-84 going into the fourth quarter, but the Rockets still controlled all the momentum.

In the fourth quarter, things got even more interesting. The Thunder kept it within six for most of the period and in the final six minutes, the momentum went back and forth between these two squads. It started when Derek Fisher drew an offensive foul from Harden, sending him to the bench with five fouls. On the subsequent possession he grabbed an offensive board and fed it to Jackson under the hoop to cut the lead to 98-94. Parsons responded on the next play by bodying his way through the paint to lay it in.

Later, Durant found his second wind, knocking down an ice-cold three in the face of a defender and grabbing the defensive rebound on Houston’s next possession. He then drove down the court, beat two double-teams and dunked on two more Rockets in the process. With his five straight points, the Thunder were within two points of Houston, 105-103, with under a minute to play.

With the Rocket’s next possession, Harden air-balled a three, and OKC got the ball back with 53.7 seconds left to make something happen. Durant tried to drive and take the lead, but he was called for an offensive foul. Then Harden put up a jumper to close the door on the Thunder, but he missed and OKC’s Fisher rebounded it.

Houston needed to keep the final shot out of Durant’s hands if they wanted to squeak out this victory, and they got it done: Durant had to dish it to Jackson who missed the shot, only to see Ibaka put it back up but not with enough push to put it through the hoop. He feel immediately to the floor after, and the Rockets’ bench celebrated on.

The Rockets rallied from big deficits twice in this game for their first victory of the series, forcing a Game 5 with Oklahoma City.

Game 5 takes place on Wed., May 1 at Chesapeake Energy Area.

Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Oklahoma City narrowly held off the Houston Rockets on Wednesday evening, winning 105-102 to take a 2-0 lead in the first round of the playoffs.

For the Thunder, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook each dropped 29 in the winning effort; 21 of Durant’s points came in the first half alone. Serge Ibaka and Thabo Sefalosha also scored in double-digits with 12 and 10 apiece, while Ibaka also had 11 rebounds and six blocks.

James Harden shouldered most of the burden for Houston–much like he did in Game 1–scoring 36 points and having 11 rebounds in a double-double effort. Furthermore, Patrick Beverly and Chandler Parsons showed up much more this time around, scoring 33 points between them.

It was a sloppy win for Oklahoma City, who squandered a 15-point lead in the fourth quarter that forced them to ultimately come from being down four points with under four minutes left to play.

In the beginning, the Rockets made it clear that they had no intentions of cruising through this game like they did in Game 1, keeping it close with the Thunder from wire to wire. They went on a 17-2 run to tie it at 91 with five minutes to go in the fourth quarter, giving the Thunder a legitimate scare down the stretch.

But Durant, Ibaka, and Sefalosha stepped up with the game on the line, each knocking down a clutch shot to put OKC back on top, and to then give them just enough cushion to pull out the win. Near the end of the game, Durant drained a deep three to put the Thunder up one, 98-97. On their following possession, Ibaka dished a clean pass to Sefalosha who also knocked down the tre ball, extending the lead to 101-97. And finally, Ibaka drained a turnaround jumper following a missed free throw from James Harden to make the score 103-98.

It was a nice series of possessions for the Thunder, in a quarter marred by careless mistakes.

The Thunder and the Rockets have the next two days off, before they resume this series on Sat., Apr. 27 at the Toyota Center in Houston. It is critical that the Rockets can win on their home turf in these next few games, or the lights will unceremoniously cut out on their postseason hopes.

Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Houston Rockets squared off for the first game of their series in the 2013 NBA Playoffs on Sunday evening, and this time around, experienced trumped youth: The Thunder beat the Rockets 120-91 in front of their home crowd, thanks to a tremendous first half effort.

The win was the largest margin of victory for the franchise since moving to Oklahoma City.

For the Thunder, Kevin Durant led with 24 points, six rebounds and four assists, and Russell Westbrook helped out with 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 10 assists. Serge Ibaka also had a big night, nailing seven of 11 shots for 17 points. From the bench, Kevin Martin also had a big night, with 16 points.

James Harden led the Rockets with 20 points and rebounds, and was the only starter for Houston that showed up against Oklahoma City.

The Thunder started the game extremely hot, going on an early 6-0 run and leading by as many as 11 in the first quarter. Houston on the other hand could not have been any colder; they shot poorly, making just 1 of 10 shots from the floor, and their first field goal did not come until nearly the halfway mark, when James Harden laid one in. It looked as if the Rockets would mail this one in, but a scoring boost late in the first quarter gave them the burst they needed to be competitive.

Fueled by a 13-2 run to close the first quarter and start the second, Houston climbed back into it. The Thunder were still finding and making their shots, but so were the Rockets, so much so that they knotted it up with OKC at 40 in the middle of the quarter. Ibaka gave OKC a bit of an edge when he slammed down a monster dunk, but it was voided when Houston scored a basket of its own on the subsequent possession. Speaking of Ibaka, he had three tremendous blocks in the first half, the last of which allowed for a big-time transition play for the Thunder: Martin fed Kendrick Perkins the ball on the fast break, and Perkins jammed it in the hoop furiously to extend OKC’s lead to 50-44.

It was Westbrook who stood out the most in the first half through, relentlessly attacking the basket and feeding passes to open teammates.

The final two minutes of the half were brutal for Houston, who found themselves slipping further and further away from Oklahoma City. They closed the half on the bad end of a 20-7 run–which gave the Thunder a 60-47 lead–and headed into the locker room looking for a solution to OKC’s dominant play.

Oklahoma City’s 60 points in the first half were the most first-half points by this squad in team history.

The second half told a story similar to that of the first: The Thunder dominated Houston all over the court, and the Rockets were powerless to stop them. OKC outscored Houston 29-19 in the third quarter, including a pair of three balls from Ibaka and the most interesting lob OKC has done in a long time: Perkins stole the ball and strode down the court on a fast break before dishing it to Ibaka for the jam. Houston on the other hand couldn’t get anything going, missing eight shots in a row to close the quarter.

In the fourth quarter, Durant started it off by showing Houston he wasn’t letting off the gas yet, dunking over a few Rockets defenders in the opening seconds. Then Russell Westbrook drove basket to basket in 3.2 seconds on OKC’s next possession for a layup, and the rout continued on. The exclamation point of the Game One blowout came when Derek Fisher pulled up from behind the right side of the arc and sailed a tre ball into the net, putting the Thunder up 102-69. OKC pulled its started with around five minutes to go in the half, and coasted to victory from then on.

Oklahoma City did just everything better than Houston on Sunday night: The Thunder had seven blocks to Houston’s zero; shot over 53-percent to the Rocket’s abismal 36-percent, and out-rebounded them 45-37.

Houston will have to find a way to stop OKC, or this series will be over sooner than they would like. Fortunately for them, they have three days to figure it out.

With the win, Oklahoma City takes a 1-0 lead in their first game of the playoffs. Game Two of the Oklahoma City/Houston series is set for Wed., Apr. 24. at Chesapeake Arena.

April 11, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant (35) shoots against the Golden State Warriors during the first quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder travelled to Oracle Arena to challenge the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night, and thanks to a huge scoring surge in the third quarter, came away with the 116-97 win in dominant fashion.

Kevin Durant and Kevin Martin were the stars of this show: Durant had 31 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, while Martin knocked down eight of ten shots–four of five from beyond the three-point line–for 23 more points. Russell Westbrook added 18 more points of his own.

For Golden State, Stephen Curry dropped 22 points and David Lee had 13, but as a whole, the Warriors looked extremely lackluster at times and unlike a team that is bound for the playoffs in the coming weeks.

To their credit however, the Warriors did keep it close and very competitive in the first half, only trailing by four points at the end of the first quarter and going into the half. After the break however, the Thunder were playing an entirely different game.

Durant and Martin both caught fire in the third quarter and pushed OKC further and further away from Golden State in doing so. The Thunder had a 36-point scoring effort in this quarter alone, at led by as many as 21, when they went up 105-84 near the end of the fourth quarter.

The nail firmly inserted itself in the Warriors’ coffin before the fourth quarter even began; head coach Scott Brooks pulled all the starts early in the fourth quarter, and they looked on as the reserves closed out the game in favor of Oklahoma City.

With the win, OKC advances to 58-21 on the season. They face the Portland Trailblazers next, on Fri., Apr. 12.

Apr 7, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) handles the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka (9) during the first half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder hosted the New York Knicks at home on Sunday and a Carmelo Anthony-fueled effort helped see the Knicks to a 125-120 victory at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

Anthony led the Knicks with 36 points and 12 rebounds and with them passed OKC’s Kevin Durant to become the NBA’s leading scorer. It was a landmark performance for Anthony for more reasons than one; he has scored 50, 41, 40 and now 36 points in four April games, making him the first Knick since Bernard King in the 1984-85 season to have four straight games of 35+ points.

As a team, the Knicks have now been the victors of 12 games in a row, the third-longest streak in franchise history and the first time they have sustained one of this length in 13 years.

For Oklahoma City, Russell Westbrook played a heck of a game, dropping 37 points, grabbing 11 boards and dishing out eight assists. He caught fire in the second half, and his effort went a long way in keeping the Thunder in this contest. Durant added 27 points as well.

With the loss, the Thunder’s 21-straight home victory record came to an end, and they fell one game behind San Antonio in the race for first place in the West. The Thunder have now lost just six games at home this season.

The Thunder started hot with a 16-5 run against the Knicks, and then became even more fortunate when Anthony went to the bench after recording two fouls in less than eight minutes. The Knicks rallied back from being down 21-14 however, thanks to a trio of big-time 3-pointers from Jason Kidd. They took the lead late in the first quarter, and never really relinquished it.

New York’s reserves came onto the court in the second quarter and started it with a 9-3 burst, and then Anthony returned, hit a left-wing jumper and a transition 3-pointer as a part of a 7-0 run that extended their lead to 12 points. Tyson Chandler put the exclamation point on the run, slamming down a two-handed dunk from J.R. Smith’s alley-oop to make it 65-53 in the final minute of the half. Oklahoma City was able to cut that lead a little before time ran out, as they got the final three points of the half on free throws.

After the break, Westbrook had a pair of steals to bring about a quick string of six straight Thunder points, and Oklahoma City was able to get within one point of New York lead five different times before Anthony hit another shot beyond the arc and followed that up by putting back his own missed shot for another two points.

The Knicks kept enough distance in the end to secure a five-point victory.

It was a thrilling clash between these two teams, and a potential preview of what’s to come in this year’s NBA Playoffs, which commence Apr. 20.

Oklahoma City now posts a 56-21 record, and will face the Utah Jazz next on Tues., Apr. 9.

Apr 4, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) handles the ball against San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan (21) in the first half in Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder squared off against the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday night and emerged victorious, winning 100-88.

It was a spirited contest between these two teams, one that saw the Spurs bring it within three on two separate occasions, only to see the Thunder ultimately pull away again each time.

Russell Westbrook scored 27 points and Kevin Durant had 25 led the team, and their effort allowed OKC to grab control of the reins in the race for home-court advantage in the Western Conference playoffs. Derek Fisher also had a standout night; the man known for big time shots in the clutch hit a season-high five 3-pointers and had 17 points, his most since becoming a part of this time. His hot streak beyond the arc helped the Thunder go on a substantial run in the first half, and the Spurs never really could overcome it.

For San Antonio, Kawhi Leonard and Tim Duncan each dropped 24 points and had double-doubles. As hot as they were, Tony Parker was the exact opposite: he had just two points in 25 minutes and did not see the court for the final seven minutes of the game.

The Thunder held a commanding lead over the Spurs for the majority of the game, and went into the half up eight points, 52-44. In the third quarter though, things got interesting when the Spurs surged back and cut the lead to six points, 77-71 at the end of the third quarter. The plot thickened in the fourth quarter when, with under five minutes to go, San Antonio cut it to three and threatened to turn the game in their favor. A big-time block by Danny Green–who disrupted what would have been a major slam by Kendrick Perkins–served to silence the OKC home crowd briefly.

But Durant did what he does best, and gave the Thunder fans reason to breathe easy. He laid down a monster dunk that effectively served as the nail in the coffin, and Oklahoma City rolled to the win with that energy boost.

This win was an important one for the Thunder, who still sit a half-game behind the Spurs, because if both teams win out the rest of the season, Oklahoma City has the tiebreaker because they hold a better record against conference opponents.

Oklahaom City advances to 55-20 on the season, and will face the Indiana Pacers next on Fri., Apr. 5.

Mar 27, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) attempts a shot against Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka (9) during the first half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder routed the Washington Wizards on Wednesday evening, easily winning 103-80 at home.

The Kevin Durant/Russell Westbrook dynamic duo led the Thunder to the win, with 20 and 21 points, respectively. Kevin Martin also helped out, with 18. Kedrick Perkins and Emeka Okafor had big rebounding days for OKC, grabbing 11 and 10 boards each.

For Washington, John Wall led in scoring with 18 points, and additionally had 12 assists. Garrett Temple scored 13 points, while Cartier Martin and Kevin Seraphin each had 12 and Trevor Booker had 10 more.

Washington had won its previous two games against Oklahoma City, but numerous injuries and illness left the Wizards with only eight players in uniform and it was not enough to contain the Thunder for a third time.
The Wizards had to face one of the best teams in the West without Trevor Ariza (flu), Leandro Barbosa (torn left knee ligament), Bradley Beal (sprained left ankle), Nene (knee), Martell Webster (abdominen) and A.J. Price (groin).

Still, the Wizards managed to secure an early lead, and even kept it close through the opening minutes. However, an 8-0 run put Oklahoma City up 10-5 and the Thunder never fell behind again. The Thunder extended the lead to 45-34 after Westbrook sank a pair of free throws with 4:57 left in the first half, and then carried a 53-45 lead at the half.

The Thunder just kept on rolling after the half, especially Westbrook, who already had 15 of his 21 points before the break. He and Thabo Sefolosha hit back-to-back three balls to put OKC ahead 70-54 with nearly seven minutes left in the third quarter and the Wizards never could chip into that double-digit lead again.

Oklahoma City has won nine of its last 10 home games, and have done so by an average of 22 points. Going into this game, they were one-and-a-half games behind San Antonio, who take on the Golden State Warriors Wednesday night as well.

With the win, the Oklahoma City Thunder advance to 53-19 on the season, and play the Minnesota Timberwolves next, on Fri., Mar. 29.

Mar 19, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) handles the ball against Denver Nuggets guard Andre Iquodala (9) during the second half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Thunder surrendered just their fifth home loss of the season when they could not contain the Denver Nuggets in the second half of Tuesday’s contest, losing 114-104.

Ty Lawson scored 25 points and Andre Miller had 20 points and nine assists to lead the Nuggets to its 13th straight win for the first time in team history. They made even more history by becoming the first time in the 2012-13 season to beat Oklahoma City three times.

For Oklahoma City, Kevin Durant led with 34 points, and Russell Westbrook added 25 more.

The Thunder actually led by one at halftime, but the Nuggets took control of the reins in the third quarter and never relinquished them back to OKC. Denver took the lead thanks to Danilo Gallinari’s 3-pointer and then went on 12-2 run that stifled the Thunder crowd that had previously been riled up by Westbrook’s two-handed dunk off an inbound alley-oop pass. Andre Iguodala then slammed it down on a fast break and put Denver up 80-70 midway through the third, which forced Scott Brooks to call a timeout.

OKC scored back-to-back buckets out of the time out, but the Nuggets were not impressed: they scored seven straight baskets to push their lead to 87-74 with under three minutes to play in the third. The Thunder did slice into the lead, bringing it within five when Westbrook nailed a 17-foot jumper to make it 102-97 with four minutes left in the contest, but this team did not have enough in the tank to fully overcome the deficit.

This win for Denver was critical, as it suggests that this match-up could be a thriller come playoffs time, and that it could put the Nuggets in a good position for home-court advantage. The Thunder have five home losses, while the Nuggets only have three.

The Oklahoma City Thunder now post a 50-18 record. They face the Mephis Grizzlies next, on Wed., March 20.

Mar 17, 2013; Dallas, TX, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) drives against Dallas Mavericks guard Vince Carter (25) at the American Airlines Center. The Thunder beat the Mavs 107-101. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

It was a spirited, fierce clash of Western Conference foes when the Oklahoma Thunder and Dallas Mavericks met on Sunday, with these two squads keeping it close wire-to-wire in exciting fashion. When the final buzzer sounded, OKC emerged the victor, winning 107-101 in front of a vibrant Dallas crowd.

Russell Westbrook led the Thunder with 35 points, and Kevin Durant dished out another 31. Serge Ibaka posted a double-double effort, with 18 points and 16 rebounds.

For Dallas, Dirk Nowitzki spearheaded the charge, dropping 23 points on the Thunder. Four other Mavericks scored in double figures, including Vince Carter, who had 18.

The Thunder led the Mavericks through all four quarters, but Dallas nipped at OKC’s heels trailing by no more than two at the end of each quarter until the end.

Durant was unusually cold early on Sunday, making just 3 of 9 shots from the floor before catching fire in the fourth quarter. He hit seven shots in a row, recording 19 of his 31 points in the final period and helping to close out this game in OKC’s favor.

Nowitzki sank a pair of clutch free throws as the game drew closer to the wire, tying it at 101 with under two minutes to play. Oklahoma City however would not back down; Westbrook drilled a 17-footer to put the Thunder up two, and on the following play for Dallas, Mike James’ put up a desperation shot that resulted in a shot-clock violation when Durant got a hand on it and blocked it.

After Nowitzki’s free throws, Dallas failed to get on the board again. The Thunder however kept on rolling, and ultimately pushed their lead to six points, their biggest lead of the night.

The Thunder advance to 50-17 on the season with the win, while the Mavericks fall to 31-35. Oklahoma City takes on the Atlanta Hawks next, on Mon., March 18.

Mar 15, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) handles the ball against Orlando Magic guard Arron Affalo (4) during the first half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder clashed with the Orlando Magic on Friday evening and emerged the victors, winning 117-104 in a roller coaster of a game.

Kevin Durant led with 26 points and Russell Westbrook added 23 more, in yet another dominant performance from this dynamic duo.

For Orlando, Jameer Nelson had 26 points, and was hot behind the three-point arch, hitting 5 of 12 shots from downtown.

The Thunder scored a season-high 73 points in the first half, shooting 64-percent from the floor and converting 18 of 22 free throws. They led by 27 in the second quarter and all signs pointed to a blowout, but Orlando surged back before the half to bring the score within 15 points, 73-56.

OKC again pulled away after a dominant third quarter, leading by 22 with seven minutes left in the period. The Magic–refusing to go down without a fight–clawed their way back into it midway through the fourth quarter. They cut the Thunder’s lead to four points, and forced Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks to put his starters back in to close this one out.

The nail in the coffin came when Westbrook put up a clutch three-pointer with two minutes left in the contest, assuring that the Thunder would deliver a W to is home crowd.

With the win, the Oklahoma City Thunder advance to 49-17 on the season and tout an outstanding 30-4 record at home. They challenge the Dallas Mavericks next on Sun., March 17 on the road.

Mar 11, 2013; San Antonio, TX, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Nick Collison (4) drives for the basket between San Antonio Spurs forward Boris Diaw (left) and DeJuan Blair (right) during the first half at the AT

The San Antonio Spurs snapped the Oklahoma City Thunder’s five-game winning streak on Monday, with a 105-93 win, and showed why they are still time team to beat in the West.

Thiago Splitter led the winning initiative for San Antonio, making nine of his 11 shots for 21 points, and tacking on 10 boards. Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green and Tim Duncan also had themselves a game, scoring 17, 16, and 13 points respectively.

For a team coming off its second-worst home loss ever, the Spurs certainly played as if they have no memory of it.

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook led OKC with 26 and 25 respective points, but it was not enough to lead the Thunder to a first win against San Antonio in six contests. Serge Ibaka was the only Thunder player with double figures, having 13 points and 16 rebounds.

OKC actually led the Spurs by 10 in the first quarter, but from the second quarter on, every single shot they took was contested by a San Antonio player.

With the loss, OKC now posts a 47-17 record, and is still looking for answers as to how to find an advantage and win against San Antonio, as they will undoubtedly be a major foe come playoffs time. They will challenge the Utah Jazz next, on Wed., Mar. 13.

Mar 10, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jeff Green (8) handles the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder center Kendrick Perkins (5) during the first half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunders clashed with the Boston Celtics on Sunday afternoon, beating them 91-79 at home and advancing their winning streak to five straight.

Kevin Durant let the Thunder in scoring with a double-double effort, putting up 23 points and 11 rebounds. Russell Westbrook helped out with 15 points, and Kevin Martin came off the bench to add 12 more.

Three Celtics had double-digit points, Paul Pierce being the leader of the trio with 20. Avery Bradley had 12, and Kevin Garnet–who was particularly cold in this game–had 10.

The Thunder led Boston the entire game, though the Celtics kept it close from beginning to end. Boston shot reasonably well in the first two periods, but the Thunder chopped their percentage in half from 51-percent to just 25-percent in the latter two.

To Boston’s credit, they tempered OKC’s regular pace of 107 points per game, the best in the NBA.
Putting up only 91 points, this was the lowest-scoring game for Oklahoma City in their last 25 games, but nevertheless it was the 47th win for this exciting squad.

With the win, OKC advances to 47-16 on the season, and is just one game behind the Spurs for the best record in the West. They challenge the Sacramento Kings next on Monday, Mar. 11.

Mar 8, 2013; Charlotte, NC, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder shooting guard Thabo Sefolosha (2) goes up for a shot between Charlotte Bobcats point guard Kemba Walker (15) and power forward Bismack Biyombo (0) during the first half at Time Warner Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder bested the Charlotte Bobcats on Friday, beating them 116-94 in Charlotte.

Kevin Durant had 19 points and seven assists in Oklahoma City’s fourth straight win, leading the team in scoring. Five other Thunder players scored in double digits: Derek Fisher and Thabo Sefalosha each had 13, Serge Ibaka had 12, and Russell Westbrook and Kevin Martin dropped 11 apiece.

For Charlotte, Gerald Henderson put up 21 points in the loss. He sunk his first five shots in a row for 11 points, giving the Bobcats a slight lead at the end of the first period.

The Bobcats were very competitive at the beginning of the game, leading by one point going into the second quarter. Oklahoma City countered by blowing the game wide open, when they went on a 19-0 run at the start of the second quarter–while the Bobcats missed 10 straight shots–which effectively kept Charlotte out of contention for the rest of the game. It took them nearly six minutes to light up the scoreboard in their favor in the second quarter, but by then, the damage was done.

Holding a double-digit lead the rest of the game, the Thunder carried a 64-50 lead into the locker room after shooting 62.2 percent from the field in the first half.

Charlotte got blown out by 45 points at Oklahoma City in their meeting on Nov. 26, and Henderson’s effort showed that they had no intention of repeating this performance. Though they did not lose by nearly as many this time around, the Thunder still proved to be too much to handle.

After three quarters, OKC led 90-66, and Scott Brooks pulled all the starters for the rest of the game.

The Thunder had beaten the Clippers, Lakers, and Knicks before having a significantly easier match-up against Charlotte Friday night.

With the win, the Thunder advance to 46-16 and will have a challenge on Sunday when they take on the Boston Celtics at home.

Mar 5, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) handles the ball against Los Angeles Lakers guard Steve Nash (10) during the first half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Lakers’ time at being .500 on the season was short lived, as the Oklahoma City Thunder absolutely throttled them on Tuesday night, winning 122-105 at home.

Russell Westbrook was the star, scoring 37 points and grabbing 10 boards in his double-double performance. Kevin Durant had 26 points, while Serge Ibaka–who surprisingly wasn’t suspended but only fined $25K for a crotch shot to Blake Griffin against the Clippers on Sunday–added 13 more.

Kobe Bryant caught fire early for Los Angeles and had a 30-point performance, all while playing with a banged-up right elbow. This was Kobe’s 26th 30-point game this season, the most in the NBA.

The Thunder jumped to an early lead on Los Angeles, going up 37-28 after the first quarter. Those 37 points were the most points scored in the first period by OKC this season. Undeterred by the Lakers’ lax defense, the Thunder led 71-55 at the half, and Westbrook, Durant and Kevin Martin off the bench all had double digit points.

Though they led this game wire to wire, Oklahoma City saw its 18-point lead diminish to just five points late in the fourth. The Lakers brought it to 110-105 with four minutes to go, and looked as if they were going to make a late push to turn the game in their favor.

No such thing would occur, however.

The Lakers went ice cold down the stretch, being rendered scoreless the last four and a half minutes of the game. Ironically, the Lakers opened this game by missing their first 10 shots, and would end it by missing their last 10 as well.

Los Angeles falls to 31-30 on the season, while OKC advances to 44-16. They challenge the New York Knicks next, on Wed., Mar. 7.

Mar 1, 2013; Denver, CO, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) drives to the basket during the second half against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center. The Nuggets won 105-103. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

It looked as if the Oklahoma City Thunder were going to roll over in this one, but a late surge pushed this game to the brink, only to see OKC ultimately fall to the Denver Nuggets 105-103 in dramatic fashion on Friday night.

With 0.2 seconds left in the game, Ty Lawson put up a cold-blooded shot inside the three-point arc, nailed it, and brought home the W to Denver.

Russell Westbrook led the Thunder in scoring with 38 points–a season high for him–and Kevin Durant had 25 of his own.

For the Nuggets, Wilson Chandler came out incredibly hot, nailing 13 of 19 shots on the night,for 35 points.

Denver looked as if it would run away with this one early, leading the Thunder by at least 10 often, at various points in the game. In the second quarter, it took the Thunder more than four minutes to record a single bucket; meanwhile, the Nuggets were landing their shots and having their way on the court.

The Thunder trailed 85-75 going into the fourth quarter, but kicked it into overdrive and ultimately made it a game when Russell Westbrook nailed a pair of free throws to tie it at 91. To make things more climactic, the Thunder and Nuggets went tit for tat all the way down to the wire, when Durant tied it again–this time at 103–off a driving bank shot with 17.6 seconds left in the game.

It looked as if OKC was going to make an inspiring comeback, but Lawson had other plans.

With the win for Denver, the Nuggets improve to 2-0 against Oklahoma City and 25-3 at home. The Thunder on the other hand have dropped five of their last six road games; an interesting change of pace for a team that has played dominantly on the road this season.

the Thunder now hold a 42-16 record, 16-12 on the road. They will face the Los Angeles Clippers next, On Sunday, Mar. 3 at Staples Center.

Feb 27, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) attempts a layup against the New Orleans Hornets during the first half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Kevin Durant recorded his third career triple-double that helped power the Oklahoma City Thunder over the New Orleans Hornets 119-74 on Wednesday night.

Durant’s 18-point, 11-rebound and 10-assist game, coupled with Russell Westbrook’s 29 points helped the Thunder to not only sweet the Hornets (4-0 against New Orleans this season) but also to close out a perfect three-game homestand at Chesapeake Arena.

The Hornets’ were short-staffed against Oklahoma City, as starters Anthony Davis (shoulder) and Eric Gordon (knee) are out with injury. Ryan Anderson started in place of Davis and led the team with 14 points, but aside from his effort, none of the Hornets could put any kind of a fight to temper OKC’s assault.

Oklahoma City got to work early against the Hornets, putting up 16 of his 29 points in the first 10 minutes of the game. He and Serge Ibaka exploded early in this game, scoring all but a pair of the Thunder’s first 26 points and teaming up for an 8-0 run. From there, Oklahoma City kept on rolling to a 36-22 lead after Kevin Martin knocked down a 16-footer in the first two minutes of the second quarter.

The Thunder never trailed and continued to pull away after a cranking up their defense late in the first half. New Orleans started out 18 for 36 from the field and even got the score within 48-43 at one point, but it was all downhill fromt there. The Hornets then sunk only nine of 41 shots after that, and they never got back in it.

Oklahoma City on the other hand recorded five blocks in the first four minutes of the second half and it was essentially game over.

With his team up by 23, Durant turned his attention to dishing the rock and got his second triple-double since All-Star Weekend. He had five straight assists in the third quarter, and he set up Westbrook’s two-handed dunk and a jumper by Serge Ibaka. He followed that with a pass to Ibaka for a layup for his ninth assists, turning and grinning to his teammates on the bench. After a timeout, he passed on a shot near the elbow to feed a 3-point attempt to Westbrook, who nailed it and subsequently allowed Durant to complete his triple-double attempt.

Durant then went back into scoring mode and made a 10-foot jumper to put the Thunder up 87-52. After that, he and the rest of the starters came out of the game 4:01 left in the third quarter, and never came back.

New acquisitions Derek Fisher and Ronnie Brewer got to see much playing time because of the huge lead Oklahoma City had secured for itself. Fisher–who signed as a free agent this week after Oklahoma City traded point guard Eric Maynor last week–missed a pair of 3-pointers in the first half. Brewer–who came by way of a trade with the New York Knicks– played the entire fourth quarter along with Fisher and helped grow the lead to as much as 43.

The margin of victory matched the largest of the season for Oklahoma City and was also the biggest blowout the Hornets have suffered this season. It also marked the first back-to-back blowouts by at least 30 points by the Thunder franchise since 1994, as they beat the Chicago Bulls 102-72 on Sunday.

With the win, Oklahoma City advances to 42-15 on the season, and will face the Denver Nuggets next on Friday, Mar. 1.

Feb 14, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Miami Heat forward LeBron James (6) handles the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) during the first half at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder have been hard at work storming through the West, but when challenged by Miami on Thursday, they just couldn’t take the Heat, and lost 110-100 right before the All-Star break.

Despite starting extremely cold, Kevin Durant led the Thunder in scoring, with 40 points, for the sixth time this year. Russell Westbrook was the only other Oklahoma City player to record double digit points, with 26.

For Miami, Lebron James continued his absolute domination of the league, putting up double-double figures with 39 points and 12 rebounds. No one has had an answer for James in his last seven contests, and the Thunder would not be able to come up with one, either. James was primed to continue his incredible run of games with at least 30 points and 60-percent shooting to seven, but missed a shot beyond the 3-point line as the shot clock ran down with just over a minute left, which brought to 58-percent on the night (14-for-24).

Chris Bosh also helped out with 20 points and 12 rebounds.

The win for Miami served as the sixth straight time they have bested the Thunder, dating to last year’s NBA Finals.

The Thunder–who trailed by more than 20 points at times–avoided a St. Valentine’s Day massacre when they pushed back hard in the fourth quarter to reduce the deficit to just ten points.

This team has been incredible itself at times, but has yet to find a way to come out on top of the Heat. This is an ominous situation the Thunder find themselves in, as it is likely Miami will once again be an obstacle for this team come playoffs time.

With the loss, Oklahoma City sits a 39-14, and can take solace in the fact that they still sit atop the league with the second-best record. After the All-Star Games, they will face the Houston Rockets next, on Fri., Feb. 20.

Feb. 10, 2013; Phoenix, AZ, USA: Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) steals the ball from Phoenix Suns guard Goran Dragic (1) in the first quarter at the US Airways Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder trounced the Phoenix Suns on Sunday, obliterating them 97-69 on the heels of blowing out the Suns 127-96 on Friday, at Chesapeake Arena.

Thabo Sefalosha led the furious assault that rained down on the Suns, completely dousing their light and making them look hapless instead. He made a career-high 5 of 7 three-pointers and finished with 20 points. Russell Westbrook blisteringly scored 24 points in 28 minutes, while Kevin Durant helped out with 18 of his own.

The Phoenix Suns for the second time in three days, have been absolutely thunder struck: not only did they get blown out in consecutive games, but they have not won against OKC in 10 games, the longest active streak against Phoenix.

For the lowly Suns, only one player–Markieff Morris–scored in double digits, with 12. The effort was all the more embarrassing because of the fact that a tip-in with under eight seconds to go by Wesley Johnson was required to prevent Phoenix from setting a franchise scoring low that has stood for more than 30 years, a 68-point effort at Kansas City on March 8, 1981.

Durant was unusually cold in the first half, hitting just 1 of 5 in the first quarter. Despite this, Oklahoma City led 27-16. The Thunder then scored the last eight in the quarter, including a pair of tres by Sefolosha. Sefolosha made another one to start the second quarter, to extend OKC’s run to 11-0 and put the team up 30-16

To Phoenix’s credit, they crawled back into during the second quarter to cut it 35-32, but the Thunder scored the next nine points and with them squashed any hopes that the Suns may have had of making this a game.

After the half, Sefolosha ushered back action by scoring, followed by Durant slamming down a With the score at 55-34, the rout was on and the Thunder never looked back.

With the win, Oklahoma City have now won four straight and advance to 16-9 on the road, winning by 21, 21, 32 and 38 points in those matches.

Overall, the team boasts a 39-12 record, and will challenge the Utah Jazz next, on Tues. Feb. 12.

Feb 4, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Kendrick Perkins (5) handles the ball against Dallas Mavericks center Bernard James (5) during the first half at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder avoided a third consecutive overtime match with the Dallas Mavericks by absolutely blowing them out 112-91 on Monday.

Russell Westbrook let the effort with 24 points and Kevin Durant had double-double figures, 19 points and 10 rebounds.

In the previous two matches, the Mavericks went toe-to-toe with the Thunder but this time they stood no chance. After falling behind by only seven after the first quarter, Dallas let the game get dramatically out of reach. Oklahoma City hit 12 of its first 16 shots in the second quarter and had outscored Dallas 21-1 on the fast break by the time Durant bounced a pass to Kevin Martin–who had 17 points off the bench–for a layup to put Oklahoma City up 61-34. Oklahoma City led by at least 20 throughout the second half (including a high of 33 points in the fourth quarter), and sat all of its starters for the entirety of the final quarter.

For Dallas, Shawn Marion had an incredible game and was the only positive aspect of their performance. He hit 10 of 14 shots for 23 points. Conversely, Dirk Nowitzski was dreadfully cold, making only 3 of 10 of his attempts for 10 points. Vince Carter is out with an illness and did not play, giving him his first missed game of the season.

Though the game was never close, it did get testy. Kendrick Perkins and O.J. Mayo got in each others’ faces and had to be separated, and referee Ken Mauer issued a technical foul against Perkins after reviewing the altercation. Durant also got himself T’d up for gesturing at the ref, tying for an NBA high of nine technicals this season.

The Thunder have now beat the Mavericks 10 of 11 times since Dallas beat them in the 2011 Western Conference finals en route to the NBA championship, including a four-game sweep of the Mavs in last year’s playoffs.

The Thunder–who traded a few wins and losses over their past nine games, but have only recorded back to back losses one time this season–advance to 36-12 on the year. They challenge the Golden State Warriors next on Wed., Feb. 6.

Jan 31, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph (50) fights for position with Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka (9) during the first half at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder deftly handled the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday night, besting them 106-89.

Kevin Durant led all scorers with 27 points, while Russell Westbrook dished out 21 of his own.

The Thunder led by as many as 26 before the Grizzlies pushed back and cut it to ten points going into the 4th quarter. They did not have enough steam to keep the comeback going however, and they fizzled out in the end to lose by 17.

For Memphis, Jerryd Bayless had 23 points, while Mike Conley and Marc Gasol helped out with 17 and 16 points, respectively.

After strongly commanding this game, the Thunder had a mini meltdown coming out of the half that resulted in Westbrook riding the pine for getting into it with his teammates and head coach Scott Brooks. The Grizzlies capitalized on his absence and made it a game again, but it was ultimately not enough to overcome the Thunder.

When Westbrook finally came back in at the start of the 4th quarter, he sank a pull-up jumper and then set up Kevin Martin for consecutive wide open three pointers in transition. With that, the nail firmly inserted itself in the coffin of Memphis’ comeback attempt.

The Grizzlies–who are one of the three teams to have previously bested OKC at home–played short-handed on Thursday, as they await for the newly acquired Tayshaun Prince, Austin Daye and Ed Davis to arrive and be cleared for play.

The Thunder are just returning home from a six-game road trip up and down the West Coast, and they certainly played like they were on their own turf. The team nailed its first nine shots to build an early lead and they never looked back. When Martin drilled a triple from the left side of the arc, he gave OKC their first double-digit lead with nearly three minutes left in the first quarter.

Memphis, a team that normally is very difficult to score against, had absolutely no answers for Oklahoma City; the Thunder made 61-percent of their shots, and they made it look easy.

The Thunder advance to 35-11, with an impressive 20-3 home record. The Grizzlies fall to 29-16 but are still sitting pretty as the 4th best team in the West. Next, Oklahoma City plays the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sat., Feb. 2nd.

January 23, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) is fouled by Oklahoma City Thunder forward Nick Collison (4) in the second quarter at ORACLE Arena. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Coming off their first win in LA against the Clippers on Tuesday night, the Thunder could not contain the aggressive assault of the Golden State Warriors, falling to them 104-99.

For the Warriors, this win was huge: they are officially the sole team in the NBA to have beaten the Heat, the Clippers (three times), and the Thunder this year. It’s safe to say they are the truth this year, and will be a problem for teams in the West vying a spot in the NBA finals.

The Warriors also are the only team so far this season to overcome the Thunder after they had led for three quarters.

Stephen Curry had 31 points and seven assists while David Lee had 22 points and 12 boards in the win over Oklahoma City. Curry dazzled as much as anyone on the court, matching Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, shot for shot.

Oklahoma City blew an eight point lead in the fourth quarter, and then seemed to fall entirely apart as a result.

Late in the game, Kendrick Perkins tipped in a rebound before Jarrett Jack let go a deep three over Durant and sunk it to put the Warriors ahead by three again. Durant responded by making both of his free throws, but Golden State’s Lee responded by laying it in to extend the lead once more.

Then, Curry missed a three-pointer to give the Thunder a chance, but they couldn’t close out. Durant missed one of his free throws that would have made it a one-point game, and then botched an inbound pass that Curry stole and turned into a pair of free throws, making one of them. With 12 seconds left, the 104-99 score made a Thunder comeback impossible.

Durant had 33 points and five rebounds, but his mishaps in this contest made more of an impact than his successes. Westbrook was not nearly as impressive as he has been of late, having only 10 points, five rebounds and four assists while shooting an abismal 3 of 16 from the floor. He also missed all five of his attempts from beyond the arc.

Curry made a strong case for himself to be an All-Star reserve, in a performance where he outplayed Durant, one of the most dominant players in the league as of late, as well as Westbrook, a crucial role player.

Oklahoma City had one seven of its last eight games prior to falling to Golden State, is once again tied with the Clippers for the best record in the league.

The Thunder now hold a 33-10 record and will face the Sacramento Kings next on Fri., Jan. 25.

Jan 22, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers point guard Eric Bledsoe (12) drives against Oklahoma City Thunder power forward Serge Ibaka (9) during the game at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Los Angeles Clippers 109-97 on Monday night, in a competition that ended much more excitingly than was expected.

Kevin Durant continues storming through the West with his incredibly hot, incredibly dominant performances: he had 32 points and 7 rebounds on the night, but the show he put on in the second half was a sight to behold. Russell Westbrook played another strong game and finished with 26 points, while Serge Ibaka added 17 more.

For Los Angeles, Blake Griffin had double-double figures with 31 points and 11 rebounds, but it was not enough to overcome the assault of Oklahoma City nor the absence of Chris Paul.

In winning, the Thunder now have a game-and-a-half lead on the Clippers, as well as the best record in both the West and the entire NBA.

The Clippers in the first half looked to make the game as exciting as was anticipated, even leading for much of the first quarter. At the end of the first quarter Oklahoma City and Los Angeles were tied at 22, and going into the half they only trailed by four, 49-45.

After the half though, the Clip Show without Chris Paul proved to be a no-show, and the Thunder–who shot 51-percent in the first half–would go on a dominant rampage.

OKC made 12 of their 16 shots in the third quarter and knocked down six of seven shots from beyond the arc. As a team, they drained 15 three-pointers, a new team record.

Durant was absolutely unstoppable, seemingly taking whatever shot he pleased, nailing it, and making it look easy. His most jaw-dropping moment came in the fourth quarter when he drove down the lane, cocked back, and slammed down a monster dunk over Lamar Odom.

To their credit, the Clippers–despite trailing by 16 at one point in the fourth quarter–refused to go away so easily. They crawled back in it to cut the lead to eight, thanks to a few big-time three pointers of their own, and points made off of back-to-back offensive fouls by Ibaka. Oklahoma City outscored them by 33 points beyond the arc, yet the Clippers managed to lose by a much narrower margin of 12.

Without Paul, the Clippers looked listless and without direction at times, particularly in the third quarter. Expect this match-up to have a lot more life in it when these teams meet again with Paul back in the rotation.

Oklahoma City had previously loss for straight games to the Clippers in Los Angeles, so this win was yet another huge road victory for this squad.

The Thunder advance to 33-9 on the season, and face the Golden State Warriors next on Wed., Jan. 23.

January 20, 2013; Denver, CO, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) drives past Denver Nuggets guard Andre Iguoldala (right) during the first half at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Despite both Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook having 30-point games, it wasn’t enough to lead Oklahoma City to victory: the Thunder narrowly lost 121-118 to the Denver Nuggets in overtime on Sunday night, after besting them last Wednesday. With the Nugget getting this win, they effectively snapped OKC’s six-game winning streak.

Sunday night’s game loss was especially tough and emotionally draining for Oklahoma City head coach Scott Brooks, whose mother, Lee (79) died on Saturday.

The Thunder were coming off a previous overtime thriller on Friday, where Durant’s 52-point effort carried them over the Mavericks. This loss comes as the first one in five overtime games this season.

The Nuggets took a 101-90 lead after Ty Lawson scored on a putback with nearly seven minutes left in the game. But the Thunder pushed back and made it 103-96 after Durant drained a three with 4:17 on the clock. Andre Miller responded with a layup and Corey Brewer knocked down a pair of free throws to further cushion Denver’s lead, and with three minutes left, it looked as if they would pull this one out.

But OKC had other plans. They surged back with a 10-0 run, capped by successive three-pointers by Durant and Kevin Martin. Their efforts brought the score to 107-106 Denver with a minute to go. Danilo Gallinari made a pair of free throws to end OKC’s run, but Westbrook responded by putting up a clutch triple and making it. With 22 seconds left, Ty Lawson failed to get a shot off before the buzzer, and the game went into overtime.

For Denver, Brewer led the effort with 26 points–15 of which came in the fourth quarter–and six rebounds, while Durant and Westbrook had 37 and 36 points, respectively.

But it was Kenneth Faried who stole the show, as he laid in the go-ahead bucket in overtime to give the Nuggets the win. He ended the night with a double-double, 16 points and 10 boards.

In losing, OKC’s record is now 32-9, tying them with the Los Angeles Clippers for the best record in the NBA. As fate would have it, these two teams will clash on Jan. 22 at the Staples Center to sit atop the league with the most wins.

Jan 18, 2013; Dallas, TX, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant (35) and power forward Serge Ibaka (9) celebrate a three point play during the first half against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Kevin Durant scored a career-high 52 points–and is the first player in the NBA to score 50 this season–in Oklahoma City’s 117-114 overtime victory over the Dallas Mavericks.

Equally as incredible as his 52 total points is the fact that Durant made all 21 of his free throws on Friday night. He played absolutely lights-out, and his effort ultimately made the difference in this contest.

Oklahoma City looked to put Dallas away early, talking a 53-46 lead at the half. But the Mavericks had other plans, and they surged back in an effort spear-headed by Vince Carter and Dirk Nowitzki who caught fire in the second half. OKC blew a 14-point lead after controlling the game for three quarters, and looked as if they were on the verge of losing for the first time in 28 games.

The Thunder led by three with 2.5 seconds left in regulation time when the Mavericks’ O.J. Mayo drilled a cold-blooded triple in the face of Serge Ibaka to tie it at 105 and send it into overtime. With five extra minutes, the Thunder were able to pull away thanks to none other than Durant, who hit the go-ahead jumper with 16 seconds left to go.

Russell Westbrook helped out OKC with 31 points, while Serge Ibaka had 14.

For Dallas, Carter led the team with 29 points, a season-high effort, and Nowitzki had 18.

The Oklahoma City Thunder advance to 32-8 on the season, and take on the Denver Nuggets again on Sun., Jan. 20.

Jan 16, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) attempts a shot against the Denver Nuggets during the second half at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder rolled the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday evening, beating them 117-97 at home.

Russell Westbrook had an All-Star caliber night and let the assault on Denver, putting up 32 points, half of which came in the first quarter alone. He simply couldn’t miss; be a jumper, a free throw, or driving for a layup, Westbrook struck gold from all over the court. This, coming off a season-best 36-point performance against Phoenix on Monday night. Kevin Durant and Kevin Martin each dropped 20 in this winning effort.

Additionally, Serge Ibaka returned to the lineup after missing a few games with a chest contusion, and had five points, six boards, and five blocks on the night.

In dismantling Denver, Oklahoma City snapped the Nuggets’ six-game winning streak, their longest of the season thus far.

For Denver, Kosta Koufas led the team with 16 points and nine rebounds.

The rout was on early at Chesapeake Arena, with Westbrook hitting six of his first eight shots and racking up 16 points in the first 10 minutes. Oklahoma City scored the first seven points of the game, to which Denver had no answer, and also had a pair of 8-0 spurts in the first quarter alone. The dagger came in the first three minutes of the second quarter when Kick Collision’s two-handed slam extended OKCs domination to a 45-23 lead. Finally, Denver called a timeout to regroup, but they never got within 17 points after that dunk.

Denver could get nothing going defensively, nor could they play with enough energy to move the ball on offense. And it didn’t help that they committed 21 turnovers, free points that the Thunder greedily gobbled up.

These Western Conference foes will meet again on Sunday, this time in Denver’s house.

Oklahoma City advances to 31-8 on the season, and will have a challenge on Fri., Dec. 18, when they face the Dallas Mavericks on the road.

Jan. 14, 2013; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) dunks the ball over Phoenix Suns center Marcin Gortat (4) in the second half at US Airways Center. The Thunder defeated the Suns 102-90. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder won their fourth straight game on Monday night when they beat the Phoenix Suns 102-90. In doing so, they became the first team in the NBA to get to 30 wins this season.

For the Thunder, Kevin Durant recorded his fourth 40-point game this year when he dropped 41 on the Suns. Partner in crime Russell Westbrook put up 36, as well as eight rebounds and five assists. Serge Ibaka did not play again on Monday, as he is still out with a chest contusion.

Shannon Brown scored 21 for Phoenix, while Marcin Gortat had 19 points and 15 points. Gortat played well, but will be remembered in this game not for his stats but for being the victim of a vicious posterization.

OKC has been incredibly dominant on the road as of late, as they had already won two consecutive games away from Chesapeake Arena. At Phoenix, things would be no different.

Durant scored 27 of his 41 points in the second half, including an astounding 19 points in the 4th quarter alone. He began shooting the lights out with a fastbreak layup, drained another from 19 feet away, then followed with a 3-pointer to put the Thunder up 79-72. Later, he sank another one beyond the arc, another 19-footer, and then a final layup. But the grand finale came on OKC’s next possession when Durant powered through the lane and slammed it down in Phoenix’s Gortat’s face. Gortat fouled him on the play and Durant made the free throw to put the Thunder up 97-81 with just over two minutes left.

To their credit, the Suns stuck it to the Thunder in the 3rd quarter, going on a 14-4 run that brought the score within four, 72-68. They did not have enough in the tank to sustain the surge, and the Thunder, aided by Durant’s late burst, would go on to win.

The Thunder now are the sole proprietors of the best record in the NBA, at 30-8. They return home next to face the Denver Nuggest on Wed., Jan. 16, at Chesapeake Arena.

Jan 13, 2013; Portland, OR, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant (35) dunks against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Rose Garden. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder continue storming the Western Conference, this time beating the Portland Trailblazers 87-83 in a nail-biter.

Per usual, Kevin Durant led the winning effort with 33 points, four rebounds, six assists and two blocks. Russell Westbrook’s 18 additional points and nine assists were especially critical this game, as the Thunder played without starters Serge Ibaka and Thabo Sefalosha, who are out due to injury.

For Portland, LaMarcus Aldridge put up double-double figures with 33 points and 11 rebounds.

In beating Portland, the Thunder snapped the Blazer’s nine-game winning streak.

The Trailblazers gave OKC a run for their money late in the game despite being down 11 points in the fourth quarter. They brought it within one point when Nicolas Batum drained a three-pointer with 21.9 seconds left in the game. The Thunder kept them at bay though, aided by Aldridge missing a fade-away jumper with under two seconds left and Russell Westbrook knocking down a pair of free throws to put the game just out of reach.

Though they did not win, the Blazers easily served the Thunder with their best game in a while, really pushing it down to the wire and conceding nothing easily.

The Thunder advance to 29-8 on the season, while the Blazers now sit at 20-17. They face the Phoenix Suns next, on Monday, Jan. 14.

Jan 11, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) celebrates as Los Angeles Lakers forward Antwan Jamison (4) watches at the Staples Center. The Thunder defeated the Lakers 116-101. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports

Like they have consistently done all season, the Oklahoma City Thunder proved once again why they are the team to beat in the West when they dismantled the Lakers 116-101 at Staples Center.

Kevin Durant absolutely balled out, leading the offensive assault with 42 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Russell Westbrook helped out with 27 points and 10 assists in this winning effort that served as the Lakers’ sixth-straight loss.

Los Angeles put up a fight in the first quarter when their backs were against the ropes, suggesting that they still have what it takes to be a top team in 2013. The Thunder had jumped to an early 11-point lead when the Lakers shredded it by going on an 11-0 run led by Kobe Bryant.

After that though, the Thunder were having none of it.

Oklahoma City surged right back and trounced their way to a 27-point lead in the second half, and the short-handed Lakers never got back into it. Without starting big men Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard for the third straight game, Los Angeles looked sluggish and lost, drowning in a sea of inescapable blue jerseys. Their defense was helpless against the quick-tempo assault of Oklahoma City, and with the ball in their hands, the Lakers couldn’t hit anything from beyond the arc. The only bright spot for LA was Bryant (surprise surprise!), who put up 28 points in this losing effort.

For the Lakers, it means their longest losing streak since 2007 while for OKC, it signaled their seventh win in nine games. In doing so, they matched the Clippers for the best record in the NBA.

In 2011, the Thunder eliminated the Lakers from the playoffs in five games and many thought that in 2012, the two teams would clash in the grandest way possible. Thus far, the Lakers have been nothing short of disappointing and need a movie-star quality ending to rectify this season.

The Thunder advance to 28-8 on the season, while the Lakers limp to a 15-21 record. Oklahoma City next challenges the Portland Trailblazers on Jan. 13.

Dec 19, 2012; Atlanta, GA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Kendrick Perkins (right) dunks on Atlanta Hawks small forward Josh Smith (left) in the second half at Philips Arena. The Thunder won 100-92. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports

Oklahoma City, led by Kevin Durant in his best performance yet this season, beat the Atlanta Hawks 100-92 on the road for their 12th straight win this season.

Durant dropped 41 points on Atlanta and had 13 rebounds in the win, his 22nd 40-point performance in his career. Russell Westbrook helped out with 11 assists and 27 points, 21 of which came in the first half.

The Thunder are just two wins away from tying the franchise-best winning streak of 14 games, set back in 1996.

For Atlanta, Jeff Teague had 19 points, while Josh Smith helped out with 17 points and 12 rebounds. Al Horford and Lou Williams had 13 points apiece.

The Hawks got off to an early lead against the Thunder in the first quarter, but couldn’t sustain it to close this one in their favor. After going up 19-17, the Hawks could not hold off Oklahoma City as they went on a 10-1 run to close out the first and begin the second quarter.

Oklahoma City extended their lead to 17 before the Hawks fought back, having been sparked by a technical foul called against Josh Smith. Atlanta then went on a run of their own, scoring 11 unanswered points before Russell Westbrook slammed it down for an OKC score.

Atlanta kept it close after that, but could not overcome the stifling play by Durant, who was largely responsible for dominating them defensively.

The Thunder continue to lead the NBA with the best record in the league, and make up for a 104-95 Nov. 4 loss to the Hawks that gave them a 1-2 record. Since then the Thunder are 20-2 and have not lost since Nov. 23.

Oklahoma City advances to 21-4 on the season. They challenge the Timberwolves next on Dec. 20.

Dec 17, 2012; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; San Antonio Spurs center DeJuan Blair (45) handles the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka (9) during the second half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder continue to be a formidable opponent this season, this time beating the San Antonio Spurs 107-93 for their 11th straight win.

Serge Ibaka had a huge night, leading the team in scoring and tying his career-best effort of 25 points, while also grabbing a season-high 17 rebounds. For the Spurs, Tony Parker and Nando de Colo led the team with 14 points apiece.

The Spurs kept it close in the first half, but the Thunder blew it open in the third quarter when they scored 11 straight unanswered points. Nick Collison capped the run with a put-back that extended the Thunder’s lead to 71-56 with over four minutes still to play in the quarter. Later, Ibaka grabbed an offensive board, and flexed his muscles while running to half court after making the bucket.

For most of the fourth quarter the Spurs’ stars rode the bench, and head coach Gregg Popovich kept them there even when San Antonio cut the 18-point lead down to nine points with more than five minutes still left in the game.

With 11 straight wins, OKC has tied the franchise record for consecutive wins, first set by the Seattle Supersonics in 1996.

OKC advances to 20-4 on the season and sits atop the NBA with the best record across the league. They will face the Atlanta Hawks next, on Dec. 19 at Phillips Arena.

Dec 14, 2012; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook (0) shoots the ball over Sacramento Kings point guard Isaiah Thomas (22) and power forward James Johnson (52) during the second half at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. The Thunder defeated the Kings 113-103. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Though the Sacramento Kings made a late surge and threatened to turn the game in their favor, the Thunder held them off for a 113-103 win and in doing so extended their winning streak to ten straight games.

Durant scored 31 points while Serge Ibaka added 18 points and 11 rebounds. Russell Westbrook had 13 points and 13 assists as well.

With a 24-point lead in the fourth quarter, it looked as if OKC’s stars would be able to rest, and coast to their tenth consecutive victory. But the Kings had other plans; they found new legs and cut the lead to ten points, forcing the Thunder to push back and close out the game in their favor.

For Sacramentp, Isaiah Thomas absolutely exploded in the fourth quarter, putting the team on his back and getting them back into the game. The Kings brought the score to 103-98 thanks to Thomas, who put up all 26 of his points in the final 13 1/2 minutes. He dropped four 3-pointers, a layup and a jumper during their 23-4 run at a comeback. Durant, Ibaka, and Russell Westbrook came back into the game late in the fourth quarter sluggishly by their standards, giving OKC fans a scare. Durant and Westbrook both missed their first attempts while Thomas scored a layup in between their misses. But then Durant rebounded a missed shot by Jimmer Fredette and laid it it for OKC, followed by back-to-back made buckets by Ibaka.

The Thunder would finish strong and would make a little history in doing so: the win marks the franchise’s longest winning streak since 1996, when the Seattle Supersonics won 11 games in a row.

Oklahoma City improves to 19-4 on the season, and will face the San Antonio Spurs at home on Monday. Like with the Lakers, this matchup could be a preview of what’s to come from these Western Conference foes come playoff season.

Dec 12, 2012; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant (35) shoots over New Orleans Hornets shooting guard Austin Rivers (25) during the second half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Despite trailing for much of the game, the Thunder surged back to beat the New Orleans Hornets by four on Wednesday night, extending their winning streak to nine straight games.

At 18-4, the Thunder have matched their effort from the 2011 season, the second best start in franchise history after the Seattle Supersonics’ 20-2 start in the 1993-94 season.

Thunder star Kevin Durant dropped 35 points in this winning effort. For the Hornets, Brian Roberts led the team with 15.

The win serves as the third time in four weeks the Thunder have beat the Hornets, and the seventh straight time on the series. The Hornets on the other hand saw their fifth consecutive loss this year. For most of the game, New Orleans controlled the tempo and limited the Thunder. They held an 11-point lead going into the second half, but did not have enough steam to close this one out. In the closing seconds, Hornets’ Greivis Vasquez put up a three-pointer that would have given New Orleans the lead, but to no avail. Thabo Sefalosha grabbed the board, and then knocked down both subsequent free throws.

Though the Hornets could not top OKC, they limited the Thunder from scoring 100 points. Currently the league’s highest-scoring team, the Thunder had dropped triple digits in each of their last 12 games. New Orleans also held the Thunder to 17 and 36 first quarter and first half points respectively, season lows for this squad.

Oklahoma City moves on to play the Sacramento Kings on Friday, Dec. 14, at home.

Dec 7, 2012; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) celebrates a 3 point shot and a foul in action against the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

It started out a grudge match, but the Oklahoma City Thunder blew it wide open in the second quarter and continued their dominance until the final whistle, beating the short-handed LA Lakers 114-108.

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook absolutely dominated, scoring 36 and 33 points, respectively. Westbrook had 27 of his come in the first half alone.

OKC is 15-2 in its last 17 games, and have won their last seven straight.

For Los Angeles, Kobe put up 35 points in this losing effort, while Dwight Howard added 23 points and 19 rebounds. They trailed by as much as 19 points before rallying in the fourth quarter to bring it within as little as four in the final minute. But it was too little, too late and the Thunder cruised to yet another victory.

The clash between these two Western Conference juggernauts was supposed to be a preview of what’s to come during this season’s playoffs, but with Steve Nash and Pau Gasol both sidelined to injury, the Lakers’ left much to be desired. They are still struggling to find their identity under new coach Mike D’Antoni, but once they find it, the Lakers will surely be a force to be reckoned with once more. Their 27-12 run in the 4th quarter proved just that.

Things got testy when OKC’s Serge Ibaka and LA’s Metta World Peace got tangled up under the basket in the fourth quarter and nearly came to blows. Thabo Sefalosha and one of the referees stepped in to break it up before things got too heated and both players got T-ed up for the skirmish.

The Thunder advance to 16-4 on the season, while the Lakers fall to 9-11. OKC will face the Indiana Pacers next on Sunday Dec. 9.

Dec. 4, 2012; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant (35) goes up for a layup against the Brooklyn Nets during the first half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

Despite a scare in the third quarter that spilled over into the fourth, The Oklahoma City Thunder finished strong against Brooklyn, beating the Nets 117-111.

Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 32 points while Russell Westbrook added 25 more and nine assists. Serge Ibaka and Thabo Sefolosha put up 18 points and 14 more for OKC, respectively.

The win marked 10 straight games in which they scored at least 100 points, the first time in 15 years that a team has done so.

But the win did not come easy. The Thunder nailed 21 of their first 30 shots and Durant threw down a monster dunk that stunned the audience at the Barclays Center. OKC was rolling, but Brooklyn would not concede just yet. Though they trailed by double digits at times in the first half, the Nets outscored the Thunder 39-28 in the third quarter. From there they fought tooth and nail, really making OKC work for their seventh consecutive win this season despite shooting over 60-percent as a team.

Oklahoma City had previously beaten their last four opponents by 25 points a game, and lead the NBA in victory margin (9.8 points/game).

For the Nets, the loss meant an end to their six-game winning streak at home. Deron Williams put up a season-high 34 points in the effort. Brooklyn had neither starting center Brook Lopez nor Reggie Evans due to injury and illness, but still gave OKC a run for its money.

The Thunder advance to 15-4 on the season and currently lead the NBA in offense, averaging over 105 points per game. They welcome the Los Angeles Lakers next to Chesapeake Energy Arena on Friday

Nov 28, 2012; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant (35) looks to pass on Houston Rockets shooting guard James Harden (13) during the first quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-US PRESSWIRE

In his first game back in Chesapeake Arena since being traded by the Thunder, James Harden saw his former team beat his current team 120-98 on Wednesday night.

Thunder F Kevin Durant matched his season high of 37 points in the winning effort.

All eyes were on Harden once he reentered Chesapeake Arena; he put up 17 points despite missing his first nine shots and being held to 3-for-16 from the floor. He also saw six of his shots get blocked by his former teammates. Before the game, The Thunder flashed a welcome back message to Harden, Daequan Cook and Cole Aldrich on the overhead scoreboard. Harden even got a warm ovation when his name was announced with the starting lineups.

But that was about as friendly as it got for Harden as after that, the feelings toward him changed dramatically.

Harden was part of a heated first-half incident that resulted in OKC’s backup center Hasheem Thabeet being temporarily ejected from the game. Thabeet and Harden started jawing after Thabeet blocked two back-to-back shots by Harden. Thabeet subsequently bumped into referee Marc Davis and shoved him, which caused him to get thrown out. Later, Davis went to instant replay and downgraded the punishment to a single technical foul, and Thabeet was ultimately reinstated.

When Harden took his resulting free throw, the Oklahoma City crowd enveloped him in a chorus of boos. The made basket was Harden’s first of the game, and half of his fist half points.

For Houston, Patrick Patterson scored 27 points and Omer Asik added 17 points and 12 rebounds. The Rockets had an emotional day Wednesday, as they began it by attending the funeral of coach Kevin McHale’s daughter.

On the OKC front, Serge Ibaka scored 23 points and blocked six shots, and Kevin Martin helped out with 17 more.

Houston lead 19-14 in the first quarter, but OKC responded with an 18-4 run that included the first nine points scored in the second quarter. After that, Houston never got within ten points of the Thunder. Oklahoma City scored 15 points off of Houston turnovers, while the Rockets were unable to capitalize on that category themselves.

The Thunder advance to 12-4 while the Rockets fall to 7-8. OKC challenges the Utah Jazz next, on Friday.

Nov 23, 2012; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics power forward Jeff Green (8) drives the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder shooting guard Thabo Sefolosha (2) during the second half at the TD Garden. The Celtics defeated the Thunder 108-100. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-US PRESSWIRE

The Thunder (9-4) and Celtics (7-6) clashed for four full quarters of competitive action but Boston would pull away in the end, snapping a two-game losing streak in beating the Thunder 108-100. This is only the Thunder’s second loss in 10 games.

Kevin Durant was the star for OKC, scoring 29 points in this effort. Russell Westbrook put up 26 of his own and also had eight assists and seven rebounds, showing once again how much of a team player he is and how pivotal he is in tough games. Serge Ibaka had a double-double performance, putting up 17 points and 13 rebounds as well.

The Thunder led by seven points after one quarter but the Celtics surged back to take a 48-45 lead into the half. Paul Pierce really exploded after the half, sinking three straight baskets and helping to extend the Celtics’ lead. Pierce scored 22 of his 27 points in the second half.

Boston led 84-70 after another three-pointer by Pierce with less than 10 minutes left in the game, but the Thunder quickly responded. They got within six points thanks to a 3-pointer from Durant and a big dunk from Ibaka. Boston then pulled away again, and it was 101-89 when Westbrook nailed a pair of free throws followed by another tre from Durant. They then each added a pair of free throws to cut the deficit to three points.

With the chance to tie Durant released another one from beyond the arc but he missed, and then a pair of made free throws later from Celtics center Kevin Garnett put the game just out of reach for OKC. Jason Terry put the final nail in the coffin when he drained a three with just over 30 seconds left in the game.

Both teams shot nearly the same from the floor, 47-percent for the Thunder to 48-percent for the Celtics. It was a close game from beginning to finish, with these two teams slugging it out until the very end.

The Thunder travel to Philadelphia next on Saturday to take on the 76ers.

November 16, 2012; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Hornets power forward Ryan Anderson (33) shoots over Oklahoma City Thunder power forward Serge Ibaka (9) during the first quarter of a game at the New Orleans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE

Kevin Durant and Kevin Martin each dropped 27 points, striking thunder and lighting down upon the New Orleans Hornets en route to winning 110-95.

The Thunder got hot early, scoring the first seven points and conceding nothing to the lowly Hornets, who have now lost two games in a row. The blowout began in the very first quarter, when OKC went up by 20 due to a string of consecutive three-pointers that Martin kept draining. Martin and Durant really got off tonight, sinking shots from behind the arc with reckless abandon. Durant hit 4 of 5 shots from behind the arc to compliment Martin’s 6 of 11. Not only that, but Martin hit five of his threes in the first half and had 22 points going into the half.

The Hornets got absolutely outplayed by the Thunder, but at no point did they give up the fight. They just did not have enough muscle to contain Durant and Martin, let alone the rest of OKC’s dynamic team.

It was a group effort win though for the Thunder, which shot 54-percent and went about establishing a huge lead that they carried into the second half. At times up by 34 points, this Thunder team looked a lot more electric and on point than the one that took on Memphis just the other night. All the starters sat the entire fourth quarter, making the final score look a lot closer than it actually was.

Serge Ibaka added 15 points and Thabo Sefolosha scored 11, but it was perhaps Russell Westbrook who showed the most tonight what it is to be a team player. He only made 3 of his 11 shots for 10 points but he had 12 of the Thunder’s 31 assists. Coach Scott Brooks lauded Westbrook’s selflessness at the end of the game.

With a dominating win, the Thunder advance to 7-3 on the season. OKC will take on the Golden State Warriors next, on Nov. 18.

Nov 14, 2012; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) attempts a shot against Memphis Grizzlies forward Quincy Poindexter (20) and Grizzlies guard Mike Conley (11) during the first half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-US PRESSWIRE

Kevin Durant put on his 102nd 30-point performance on Wednesday night, but the Memphis Grizzlies would win big, 107-97 over the Thunder despite his incredible effort.

He finished the night with 34 points and 10 rebounds, as well as two blocks and three steals. Durant got really hot in the third quarter, seeming to find his spots on the floor and land every shot he took.

The entire Thunder squad played with a new energy that wasn’t present in the first half, coming out strong after Russell Westbrook sprinted down the court early in the third before dishing it to Serge Ibaka who laid it in for an easy bucket. The offense really got rolling with Westbrook repeatedly driving through traffic and taking it to the hole, scoring often and scoring quickly.

The OKC team in the second half was relentless, playing with an unshakable confidence that they didn’t have in the early stages of this contest. They shot slightly better on the night than Memphis did, making 48.6-percent of their shots to the Grizzlies’ 47.6.

But ultimately, it would not be enough.

Tony Allen threw it down for a huge dunk to put Memphis up 69-55 with seven minutes left in the game, but then Ibaka responded with a slam down of his own. Rudy Gay struck back and got on a streak of his own, hitting three shots in a row and lifting Memphis back up by ten after OKC had brought it within six.

In the fourth quarter, OKC had it within reach at times but let opportunity slip through their grasp. They only scored 13 points in the fourth quarter despite coming alive at points in the third, and with every point they left on the court, Memphis picked it up on their end.

The Grizzlies extend their winning streak to six straight games, while the Thunder need to find a way to score in the fourth quarter going forward.

Nov 14, 2012; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Tony Allen (9) attempts a shot against Oklahoma City Thunder forward Seerge Ibaka (9) during the first half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-US PRESSWIRE

The Grizzlies (5-1) lead the Thunder (6-2) 56-45 at the half, hoping to extend their five-game winning streak.

Through two quarters Kevin Durant has 13 points, seven rebounds and two assists but the player really making moves in the first half has been Quincy Pondexter from Memphis, who put up 13 points off the bench, including a big-time three that allowed the Grizzlies to eventually get on top.

Memphis started to control the tempo in the second quarter, really stifling the Thunder–and keeping their home crowd really quiet–with their third-ranked defense that they tout this season. The Thunder are playing slow and are struggling to get anything going on offense. The loss of James Harden is making itself evident in this game, as OKC does not have that player that can really take over down the stretch and lift the team.

The clash in the paint between Memphis’ Zach Randoplh and Marc Gasol and OKC’s Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins is playing out just as expected: physical and with neither duo conceding anything under the bucket. Ibaka though is really getting after it defensively and already has three blocks on the night.

Going into the half, Memphis looks like the better team, disallowing OKC from playing their game. That feat was questionable coming into this game, as Memphis’ winning streak has not come against top-tier NBA teams. But Memphis looks like a real factor on Wednesday night, and if the Thunder cannot adjust to the Grizzlies’ oppressive defensive effort, it’s going to be a long night in Oklahoma City.