May 5, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) handles the ball against Memphis Grizzlies guard Tayshaun Prince (21) during the first half in game one of the second round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena. The Rockets defeated the Thunder 107-100. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Kevin Durant scored 12 of his 35 points in the final 7:20 of the game as the Oklahoma City Thunder came back to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 93-91 in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals.

Marc Gasol made a baseline shot over Kendrick Perkins with 1:07 left to give Memphis a 90-87 lead.

Durant made a driving pull-up jump shot on the Thunder’s next possession and then a steal when Memphis got the ball back.

The Thunder didn’t call timeout after Durant’s steal and he came down the floor and pulled up for a 19-foot jumper in transition to give OKC a 91-90 lead with 11 seconds left.

The comeback almost looked like it might be wasted when Reggie Jackson fouled Quincy Pondexter on a three-point attempt with one second left and the Thunder leading by three but Pondexter would miss the first free throw attempt, allowing the Thunder to hold on.

Durant added 15 rebounds (all defensive), six assists and two blocks to his 35 points. He shot 13-for-26 from the field and went 9-for-10 from the free throw line.

The Thunder received a big lift from Kevin Martin off the bench. Martin scored 25 points for the second consecutive game, shooting 8-for-14 from the field in 32 minutes.

Gasol and Zach Randolph combined for 38 points and 20 rebounds to lead the Grizzlies. Overall, the Thunder did a decent job containing the two Memphis bigs.

Both teams got out to really slow shooting starts as Memphis led Oklahoma City 16-14 after the first quarter. The teams got warmed up though in the second where OKC outscored the Grizzlies 33-30.

Both teams did an excellent job holding on to the ball. The Thunder turned it over just 10 times while Memphis just 11 times, but two of those came in the final 17 seconds.

The Thunder would outscore the Grizzlies 29-18 in the fourth quarter. Durant played the entire second half and completely took over down the stretch.

The Thunder needed this Game 1 win. They wouldn’t have wanted to waste such a great performance by Martin and some more clutch three-point shooting by Derek Fisher (2-for-2 in the fourth). Serge Ibaka really struggled offensively however shooting just 1-for-10 from the field and missing a big free throw with 1:21 left in the game.

The Thunder can still get better but so can the Grizzlies. This series really feels like every game will be close as both teams played great defense and neither offense seems to have enough fire power to run away from the other team.

Game 2 will be Tuesday night at 8:30 p.m. CST in OKC and will be on TNT.

May 3, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant (35) controls the ball as Houston Rockets shooting guard Francisco Garcia (32) defends in the first quarter in game six of the first round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at the Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Everyone take a deep breath. This series is over.

The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Houston Rockets 103-94 tonight in Game 6 to advance to the second round where they will take on the Memphis Grizzlies.

Kevin Durant scored 27 points to go with eight rebounds and six assists. After being held scoreless in the fourth quarter in Game 5, Durant came out aggressive scoring nine points in the final period tonight.

The Thunder got a huge help from their bench tonight.

It was Kevin Martin stepping up in the first half where he scored 21 of his 25 points in the game. Derek Fisher also came in to provide a huge lift with 11 points and three three-pointers. The Thunder were plus-32 in Fisher’s 27 minutes.

Nick Collison played 22 minutes and the Thunder were plus-20 while he was on the floor. He finished with 10 points and nine rebounds, four of which came on the offensive end.

Reggie Jackson also came up huge for the Thunder finishing with 17 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.

James Harden struggled for the most part scoring 26 points on 7-for-22 shooting.

The biggest key for the Thunder tonight was Martin and Jackson stepping up in the first half and then Fisher and Collison in the second. Durant didn’t have to do everything tonight and the well-balanced effort from OKC allowed them to outlast a valiant Houston effort.

Give Scott Brooks credit too for matching up with the Rockets and playing Kendrick Perkins just four minutes.

The road will of course get tougher in Round 2. Houston was no slouch and became that much tougher after the Russell Westbrook injury. But the Grizzlies should be tougher.

The good news for the Thunder is they won’t have to worry about matching up with small lineups in the next round. Perkins becomes relevant again and the more conventional style of play may actually bode well for the Thunder.

Game 1 in that series will be Sunday at noon CST in OKC on ABC.

Apr 15, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Toney Douglas (0) argues a call with an NBA official as Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) hops off the floor after getting fouled on a 3 point shot during the first half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder clinched the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference with their 104-95 win over the Sacramento Kings Monday night.

The Thunder improved to 60-21 on the year behind a game-high 29 points by Kevin Durant. Durant also had seven rebounds and eight assists. He made 10-of-18 shots and 3-of-5 threes.

Russell Westbrook scored 21 points and also had eight assists.

The Thunder were again without Kendrick Perkins and Kevin Martin who had each also missed the previous game with an injury.

Ronnie Brewer played the most minutes he’s had all season with the Thunder. In 31 minutes he had two points on 1-of-9 shooting to go with 13 rebounds and three assists.

The key for the Thunder was protecting the ball. They turned it over just 10 times which made up for a poor shooting night from beyond the arc where they went 5-for-23.

Reggie Jackson came in off the bench and scored in double-figures for the second straight game. He finished with 10 after going for 17 in Portland on Friday night.

Only one starter scored in double-figures for the Kings. Isaiah Thomas had 16 points while Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins were both held in check with relative ease.

Former Thunder Cole Aldrich actually played well scoring 12 points to go with 13 rebounds off the bench.

The Thunder will play their final regular season game at home Wednesday night vs. the Milwaukee Bucks.

April 11, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook (0) celebrates during the fourth quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena. The City Thunder defeated the Warriors 116-97. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder picked up another impressive win last night beating the Golden State Warriors on the road 116-97.

The Thunder were leading by 19 after three quarters and Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook hardly played in the fourth.

The Thunder were hot from the field in the game as the improved Warriors defense looked like the Warriors defense of old. OKC shot 50.6 percent from the field and made 12-of-27 threes.

The Thunder shared the ball extremely well registering 30 assists as a team. They only allowed Golden State to get seven offensive rebounds as well.

Here are the Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 34 minutes, 31 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists – A+

It doesn’t get any better than this from Durant. He was as efficient as ever and had his way with the Warriors’ defense. It was one of the best jobs he’s done all season juggling scoring and playmaking in the same game. Durant always tends to put up big numbers vs. the Warriors and this season, he is averaging 7.8 assists per game vs. Golden State, the highest of any opponent.

Russell Westbrook – 30 minutes, 18 points, 9 assists, 3 rebounds – B

Westbrook started off the game a little out of control missing a bunch of shots in a row and turning the ball over. He would settle down and make some big shots. Luckily for the Thunder with Westbrook playing this way, they didn’t rely on him a ton in isolation plays as the ball movement was great all night.

Serge Ibaka – 28 minutes, 17 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks – A-

Ibaka really set the tone in this one scoring 13 in the first quarter as his jumper was falling and he was very active rolling to the rim and finishing. This was a great example of all the improvements Ibaka has made in his game this season.

Kevin Martin – 19 minutes, 23 points, 3 assists, 1 rebound – A+

This is the Martin that Thunder fans love to see. He scored more points than minutes played and was the biggest reason the Thunder ran away with this one. He made a few shots early and ended the game going 8-of-10 from the field and 4-for-5 from three. This was the best game Martin has had in a very long time.

Kendrick Perkins – 17 minutes, 2 points, 3 rebounds, 2 blocks – C

Perkins hardly played and did get banged up in the second half. He wasn’t needed as the rest of the guys were all playing well. Perkins did play some nice low-post defense on Andrew Bogut early in the game.

Thabo Sefolosha – 22 minutes, 10 points, 7 rebounds, 1 steal – B+

When it rains, it pours. It seemed like everyone was hitting from deep last night and Sefolosha joined the party as well going 3-for-6 from three in the game.

Nick Collison – 18 minutes, 0 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists – B

The game wasn’t close so Collison kind of just went through the motions. He did a nice job as always in his two-man game with Martin.

Reggie Jackson – 22 minutes, 4 points, 3 assists, 4 rebounds – B

Jackson hasn’t been shooting as efficiently lately as his jumper hasn’t gone in, in awhile. He made a few nice drives to the rim and of course rebounded well.

Derek Fisher – 19 minutes, 7 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist – C

Fisher wasn’t terrible since Golden State had plenty of little guards in this game. He played good defense.

Hasheem Thabeet – 18 minutes, 4 points, 4 rebounds, 1 block – B

You have to love the way Thabeet is playing this year. Once the playoffs start, we probably won’t be seeing much of him anymore.

Scott Brooks – B+

It’s not hard to make coaching decisions when your team shoots this well. The ball was in Durant’s hands in the pick-and-roll quite a bit which is when the Thunder seem to be at their best this year. Give Brooks some credit for that.

Apr 9, 2013; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant (35) attempts to dribble around Utah Jazz shooting guard Gordon Hayward (20) during the first quarter at EnergySolutions Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder turned it around last night beating the Utah Jazz 90-80.

The Thunder defense held Utah – a team with a lot to play for right now – to 39.2 percent shooting after giving up 125 points to the New York Knicks on Sunday.

The Thunder also only shot 39.5 percent but they hit 9-of-21 threes and made 17-of-18 from the three throw line.

The big key was keeping Utah off the glass which the Thunder did, yielding just six offensive rebounds to them.

The Thunder also only turned the ball over nine times.

OKC did all of the things to win that they needed to considering they didn’t shoot well.

Here are the Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 37 minutes, 21 points, 12 rebounds, 9 assists – B+

Durant came close to another triple-double and he tried his best to get it as he looked very hard for an assist in the final minutes of this game. He took only 10 shots in the game and made six of them. He was 1-of-2 from three and 8-of-8 from the free throw line. The rebounding was probably the most impressive thing Durant did yesterday and the most crucial against a Utah team that is very good at collecting offensive rebounds.

Russell Westbrook – 37 minutes, 25 points, 2 assists, 5 rebounds – B

It was KD’s turn to be the playmaker last night as Westbrook was mostly in attack mode. He went 8-of-21 from the field but seemed to dominate a little more than that. He had a few really nasty dunks too. Just one turnover from Russ makes the inefficient shooting very forgiveable.

Serge Ibaka – 32 minutes, 16 points, 8 rebounds, 5 blocks – B+

Ibaka was very aggressive in the game and made 8-of-14 shots. He really got going from midrange which is always such a confidence booster for him. He helped seal up the paint where Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap weren’t very effective by blocking five shots.

Kevin Martin – 28 minutes, 5 points, 1 rebound – D

Martin was extremely ineffective again making just 2-of-9 shots. It’s becoming very hard for Scott Brooks to rationalize playing him big minutes or in crunch time.

Kendrick Perkins – 29 minutes, 2 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists – C+

Perkins’ numbers don’t look good but he did a very solid job on the Utah bigs all night. That was his only job and he came through.

Thabo Sefolosha – 27 minutes, 12 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists – B+

When Martin doesn’t shoot well, the Thunder always need someone else to step up. Last night, it was Thabo. He only took threes and made 4-of-8 including three straight early in the game which was huge for the Thunder. They were leaving him open and really focusing on Durant which gave him these opportunities.

Nick Collison – 17 minutes, 2 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist – C+

Collison has had better games. You rarely see him go 1-for-5 from the field but Utah has some good big men who are long that make it tougher on Collison.

Reggie Jackson – 16 minutes, 4 points, 2 assists, 3 rebounds – B-

He went just 1-for-4 from the field as Brooks tried using him in the fourth quarter the same way he did vs. New York. Jackson had some success but not as much. Still it was a solid game for him.

Derek Fisher – 11 minutes, 3 points, 1 rebound, 2 steals – C

Just another very typical game from Fish. He went 1-for-4 from the field and did very little.

Hasheem Thabeet – 7 minutes, 0 points, 1 rebound, 1 block – C+

Thabeet didn’t play much but did of course get a block while he was out there.

Scott Brooks – B+

Brooks got the guys to bounce back from a tough loss and play much better defensively. A lot of that credit has to go to him. The rotation was what we’ve come to expect. I liked the way he gave Jackson another chance in the fourth to run the show, even with Russ in there with him. That could be a good weapon in the playoffs.

Apr 7, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) handles the ball against New York Knicks guard Pablo Prigioni (9) during the first half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Defense was nonexistent on the part of the Oklahoma City Thunder Sunday afternoon as they hosted the New York Knicks.

The Knicks beat the Thunder 125-120 thanks to 15-for-34 three-points shooting, 19 offensive rebounds and just six turnovers.

Those numbers were just impossible for the Thunder to overcome, even though they had no problem scoring themselves.

OKC just couldn’t get the stops when they needed them as New York’s small lineups made the Thunder look confused and a step slow on defense all game long.

Carmelo Anthony finished 36 points and 12 rebounds. Other X-factors included J.R. Smith scoring 22, Raymond Felton scoring 16, Jason Kidd scoring 14 and Chris Copeland scoring 13.

Here are the Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 45 minutes, 27 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists – B

The Knicks double-teamed Durant all game and switched every screen he ran off of. This is why Durant only took 17 shots and never seemed to find much of a rhythm. Everything was isolation for him and the Thunder were better off going elsewhere on offense, which they did late in the game. I would have liked to see Durant handling the ball more in the pick-and-roll which would have made it tougher for the Knicks to double-team him.

Russell Westbrook – 34 minutes, 37 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists – A

Westbrook took over this game in the third quarter. He did so by attacking the New York defense at odd times when they weren’t set and finishing an amazingly high percentage of off-balanced layups in the paint. His jumper was working too and that’s how he ended up with 37. He turned the ball over only once which is impressive to see from Westbrook when he has such a high usage rate in a game.

Serge Ibaka – 32 minutes, 13 points, 6 rebounds, 5 blocks – C+

Ibaka shot perfectly from the field making all six of his shots including one three-pointer. He also was a force inside early in the game when he blocked most of his five shots. But Ibaka was lost all game defensively. The smaller Knicks lineups really confused him and the Knicks basically abused him. It’s unfair to point the finger at one player but Ibaka was definitely the most responsible for the poor Thunder defense.

Kevin Martin – 24 minutes, 15 points, 1 assist, 3 rebounds – B

Martin scored 12 of his points in the first half then was very quiet in the second. That’s expected from Martin these days. He was aggressive and knocked down all three of his three-point attempts but you were left wanting a little bit more from him. He’s just so bad defensively too that he can hardly challenge a player like J.R. Smith one-on-one. That makes it hard for Scott Brooks to play him.

Kendrick Perkins – 23 minutes, 5 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal – C+

The initial plan looked to be to play Perkins whenever Tyson Chandler was on the floor. Brooks went away from this with the Thunder trailing late since they needed more scoring out there. That may have actually been the wrong move since the Thunder played so poorly defensively. You know Perkins would have been better in that department than Ibaka.

Thabo Sefolosha – 30 minutes, 8 points, 3 rebounds, 3 steals – B

He made two threes which is always a bonus and his defense was fine. The Knicks just made a lot of tough shots.

Nick Collison – 17 minutes, 2 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists – B

The problem with Collison is that he is too small to match up with someone like Chandler. He kind of got man-handled down low trying to get rebounds a few possessions and that’s why Brooks went to Ibaka instead of him. Theoretically, it makes sense to play Collison over Ibaka in the situation the Thunder were in yesterday, but since he was too small it wasn’t working out.

Reggie Jackson – 21 minutes, 13 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds – A+

Jackson looked like James Harden in the fourth quarter last night. He was running the high pick-and-roll and getting to the rim at will. He basically took over for a large portion of the game. Some silver lining from this game is that it was a huge confidence booster from Jackson who the Thunder will need to play like this in the playoffs.

Derek Fisher – 13 minutes, 0 points – C-

Fisher accounted for nothing in his 13 minutes. He did miss all three of his shots and commit one foul.

Scott Brooks – C+

It seemed like playing Ibaka late was probably the wrong move since the Thunder needed stops more than anything and Ibaka was so lost on defense. Also, why not Ronnie Brewer against his former team in a matchup that is perfect for him? Brooks must hate him. Loved the trust in going to Jackson late. Should have tried to use Durant differently on offense to get him going but probably saw good things still coming from him being double-teamed (KD had seven assists) so that’s why he didn’t adjust.

April 5, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Hasheem Thabeet (34) is called for a technical foul for knocking Indiana Pacers forward Tyler Hansrough (50) to the ground at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder dominated the fourth quarter to beat the Indiana Pacers 97-75 last night in Indiana.

The Thunder led five after three quarters and then outscored the Pacers 25-8 in the final frame.

The Thunder did this despite playing a back-to-back, having beaten the San Antonio Spurs at home the night before.

Three-point shooting and rebounding was the big difference last night. The Thunder had six more offensive rebounds than the Pacers and Indiana shot just 2-for-21 from downtown.

The Pacers, who came into the game number one in the NBA in defense, allowed the Thunder to shoot 47.4 percent from the field for the game.

Here are the Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 34 minutes, 34 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist – A

Durant got a little more rest than usual last night after scoring just two points in the first quarter. When he checked back in, he dominated the rest of the game. Durant wasn’t the distributor he’s tried to become this season last night. He was a bonafide scorer making big shot after big shot. Every shot he made seemed demoralizing for the Pacers as he shut the door on any hopes they had for a win.

Russell Westbrook – 34 minutes, 24 points, 9 assists, 7 rebounds – A

Westbrook got off to a great start scoring at will in the first quarter. He got half of his points in that quarter and then did a little bit of everything else the rest of the game. Westbrook’s ability to easily penetrate the Indiana defense took them out of their element and paved the way to a Thunder victory.

Serge Ibaka – 28 minutes, 12 points, 7 rebounds, 1 block – B

Ibaka was quietly solid last night which is a sign that he has progressed a lot this season. This stat line is no big deal for him anymore. He hit some really tough long twos in the first quarter which really helped the Thunder to get out to such a great start.

Kevin Martin – 26 minutes, 9 points, 2 assists, 2 rebounds – C

Martin wasn’t as bad as his stat line suggests last night. He was aggressive and seemed to score more than he did, which means he hit some memorable shots. He still has a long way to go to become the solid playoff performer that the Thunder need him to be.

Kendrick Perkins – 27 minutes, 4 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist – C

Perkins’ only job was shutting down Roy Hibbert, who ended up being really the only Pacer to have a good game with 22 points and eight rebounds. Perkins didn’t feel like a problem or anything though.

Thabo Sefolosha – 23 minutes, 3 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists – B

You like to see Sefolosha score a little bit more but he was occupied checking Paul George for most of the game and shutting him down. George finished with eight points on 3-of-11 shooting. Thabo had a lot to do with that.

Nick Collison – 19 minutes, 6 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist – B

Collison was his usual solid self. He actually missed a few shots around the rim that he usually doesn’t which was kind of weird to see.

Reggie Jackson – 18 minutes, 2 points, 5 rebounds, 1 block – B-

Jackson only shot 1-for-4 from the field but he always brings great defensive and rebounding to the floor. He’s definitely dropped off a little bit in the past few weeks though, hopefully he gets back to where he was by playoff time.

Derek Fisher – 8 minutes, 2 points – C

Fisher barely played presumably because the game was a back-to-back and he is so old.

Hasheem Thabeet – 18 minutes, 1 point, 4 rebounds, 1 block – C+

You have to love Thabeet’s energy that he played with last night. Whenever he gets in there, he seems to always know his role and he looks comfortable. You can’t ask for much more from him.

Scott Brooks – A

I liked Brooks resting Durant a little more and you have to love him barely playing Fisher. Giving Thabeet a lot of burn ended up being a good move too.

Apr 4, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) celebrates a dunk against San Antonio Spurs center Tiago Splitter (33) in the second half in Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder won a crucial game last night beating the San Antonio Spurs 100-88 at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

The Thunder got out to a big lead in the first half leading by as much as 20 points but would lead by just eight at halftime.

The Spurs came back to cut it to six points after three quarters before the Thunder closed them out in the fourth.

Tony Parker didn’t look entirely healthy for the Spurs and played just 25 minutes scoring two points on 1-of-6 shooting.

The Spurs were led by Tim Duncan and Kawhi Leonard who each scored 24 points.

The Thunder are now a half game back of the Spurs for the best record in the West.

Here are the Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 45 minutes, 25 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists – A

You could tell the Thunder felt like this was a must-win since they played Durant 45 minutes. KD had a nice all-around game getting a bunch of assists but he also turned the ball over six times. He made half of his shots and hit some big ones. He seems very comfortable making big plays vs. the Spurs which is a great sign for the Thunder if they see them in the playoffs.

Russell Westbrook – 35 minutes, 27 points, 7 assists, 7 rebounds – A+

You can’t have expected Westbrook to play any better than this vs. the Spurs. He had exactly the kind of game he needed too. He made 9-of-21 shots and turned the ball over only three times. He obviously outplayed Parker by a wide margin. He was under control attacking the rim and the Spurs just didn’t look ready to defend him.

Serge Ibaka – 34 minutes, 11 points, 11 rebounds, 3 blocks – B+

Ibaka always plays pretty well against San Antonio and did so again last night. He didn’t score a ton but was efficient and knocked down a corner three as well. He was a force defensively contesting every shot inside. His timing seemed really on point all game.

Kevin Martin – 21 minutes, 2 points, 1 assist, 4 rebounds – F

Just another horrendous outing from Martin who is losing minutes and for good reason. He shot just 1-of-6 from the field and nothing looked like a good shot from him. The Thunder need him to get his act together before the playoffs start or else they will be in trouble.

Kendrick Perkins – 24 minutes, 2 points, 1 rebound, 3 blocks – C-

Perkins got in foul trouble very early in the first quarter. He was mostly concerned with playing Duncan man-to-man and didn’t exactly shut him down. Along with Ibaka though he contested shots at the rim effectively.

Thabo Sefolosha – 27 minutes, 11 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist – B+

Sefolosha stepped up in Martin’s absence and the Thunder needed it. An aggressive Thabo is always the best one and when he finds ways to score, it’s hard to beat the Thunder.

Nick Collison – 24 minutes, 2 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist – B

Collison rebounded well but hardly scored only because he didn’t need to. Other bench players stepped up and Collison did all of the little things, which he is very good at.

Reggie Jackson – 14 minutes, 3 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds – C+

Jackson seems to be settling for a lot of outside jumpers lately. He is far better when attacking the rim. His mindset probably hasn’t changed and he’s just being aggressive and taking what the defense gives him.

Derek Fisher – 15 minutes, 17 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal – A+

Fisher played a near perfect game. Knocking down 5-of-7 threes really helped and got the Thunder out to a comfortable lead. You just can’t complain about Fisher when he plays like that and shoots like that.

Scott Brooks – A

The best part about Brooks last night was that he didn’t play Fisher 30 minutes even though he was going off. He stuck to finishing the game bigger with Thabo out there and that is a great sign for the Thunder. Brooks knew last night was a must-win and he played everyone the right amount of minutes to make sure the Thunder won.

Mar 30, 2013; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Monta Ellis (11) knocks the ball away from Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) during the fourth quarter at the BMO Harris Bradley Center. Oklahoma City won 109-99. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder got back in the win column last night beating the Milwaukee Bucks on the road 109-99.

The Thunder had just lost the previous night on the road to the Minnesota Timberwolves but got a much better all-around performance from the team last night.

They shot 53.3 percent from the field for the game and had 24 assists to just 13 turnovers as a team.

Milwaukee hung around thanks to three-point shooting and offensive rebounding but the Thunder would outscore the Bucks 26-16 in the fourth quarter to close them out.

Ersan Ilyasova led the Bucks with 29 points and 14 rebounds. Monta Ellis had nine points and Brandon Jennings had eight as the Bucks backcourt combined to shoot 6-for-30 from the field.

Here are the Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 38 minutes, 30 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists – A

Durant got just about what he averages last night. It was really one of KD’s best games in awhile. The turnovers were down and he efficiently scored throughout the game.

Russell Westbrook – 37 minutes, 23 points, 10 assists, 13 rebounds – A+

Westbrook was the story of the night getting his sixth career triple-double. He tied a career-high with 13 rebounds and 10 assists is the most he’s had since March 3. He shot just 6-of-18 from the field but was a force getting to the line where he went 10-for-14.

Serge Ibaka – 31 minutes, 16 points, 7 rebounds, 8 blocks – A

Ibaka also flirted with a triple-double last night as he had a season-high eight blocks. The shot blocking early in the game seemed to really get him going with the rest of his game too. He was 7-for-8 from the field with the only miss being a three-pointer. He also had three offensive boards.

Kevin Martin – 31 minutes, 17 points, 2 assists, 5 rebounds – B+

This was Martin’s best game in awhile. He finally affected the game despite not shooting well from three (1-for-6). He was 5-for-6 from inside the three-point line and played 30 minutes-plus for just the third time in the month of March. The Thunder really need Martin to be playing well heading into the playoffs so hopefully he can carry this momentum forward.

Kendrick Perkins – 18 minutes, 4 points, 4 rebounds – C

Perkins didn’t play a lot as Ibaka, Nick Collison and small lineups were used more instead. Perkins also picked up four fouls in his 18 minutes.

Thabo Sefolosha – 17 minutes, 3 points, 3 assists, 1 rebound – B

Sefolosha also didn’t play much because Martin and Derek Fisher got a lot of burn. It was a quiet night from Sefolosha who just made one three but did come up with three assists which is always a good sign for him.

Nick Collison – 24 minutes, 10 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists – A

With Collison scoring it helped keep him on the floor instead of Perkins which is a huge win for the Thunder always. He was 5-for-6 from the field and had three offensive rebounds but somehow the Thunder were outscored by seven while he was in.

Reggie Jackson – 15 minutes, 4 points, 1 assist, 1 steal – B-

Jackson once again came in and had a couple of nice buckets. He didn’t play a ton since Westbrook was really rolling and Fisher was getting a lot of burn too.

Derek Fisher – 22 minutes, 2 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal – B

Fisher played a lot and came in the game before Jackson did for some reason. The Thunder outscored Milwaukee by 12 while he was in there so you can’t be too hard on Fish this time.

Ronnie Brewer – 7 minutes, 0 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist – C+

There was a Ronnie Brewer sighting last night which took everybody by surprise. He only played a little in the first half for KD. Brooks is using him in small lineups and he looks kind of out of place basically playing the four.

Scott Brooks – B+

The Thunder played well the entire game and came back in the fourth after being outscored 37-27 in the third quarter. There were some good signs from Brooks that he played Martin and Collison a lot and even Brewer a little.

Mar 29, 2013; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook (0) keeps the ball away from Minnesota Timberwolves point guard J.J. Barea (11) in the first half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder fell 101-93 on the road last night to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

It was once again a curious game in that Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook both played well in a Thunder loss. They simply got very little help.

The Timberwolves took more free throws, got more offensive rebounds and turned the ball over less than the Thunder.

Nikola Pekovic led the Timberwolves with 22 points and 15 rebounds. Ricky Rubio had 17 points, seven assists and four steals.

Here are the Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 41 minutes, 36 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists – A

Durant was really a monster last night. He shot 13-for-19 from the field and was 9-for-9 from the free throw line. His assists were kind of low but that also had to do with his teammates not knocking down shots. It’s amazing that the Thunder can lose games when KD plays this well.

Russell Westbrook – 32 minutes, 18 points, 9 assists, 4 rebounds – B

Westbrook played fine as well. He could have been more efficient but 7-for-17 isn’t terrible for him. He also turned the ball over just twice which is a good barometer that he is locked in and playing well. One concern though is that he was basically outplayed by Rubio which made what usually is an advantage for the Thunder, not one last night.

Serge Ibaka – 36 minutes, 10 points, 11 rebounds, 5 blocks – B+

Ibaka was very active last night on the glass and blocking shots. He became the league leader in blocks per game after last night. He went just 4-for-10 from the field and his jumper wasn’t falling as much as it normally does, which hurt the Thunder somewhat.

Kevin Martin – 20 minutes, 4 points, 1 assist, 1 rebound – F

Martin was awful last night playing just 20 minutes and shooting 1-for-9 from the field. The Thunder can’t afford for Martin to play this poorly.

Kendrick Perkins – 26 minutes, 2 points, 5 rebounds, 1 block – D+

This was not a good game for Perkins either who couldn’t slow down Pekovic and found himself in foul trouble for most of the night. He also turned the ball over four times which is unacceptable for someone that has the ball so little.

Thabo Sefolosha – 28 minutes, 10 points, 3 rebounds, 1 block – B

Sefolosha shot well which was nice and he went 2-for-2 from three for the game. An underrated part about what makes Sefolosha not that good is his inability to make entry passes to Durant. When the ball is in his hands late in ball games, it is not a good sign for the Thunder. Even Martin is much better at this than Thabo. James Harden was the best at it.

Nick Collison – 19 minutes, 0 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist – C+

KD and Russ got little help from their teammates last night and that included Collison, which is rare. He didn’t score and wasn’t much of a factor for most of the game. The Thunder didn’t have to rely on Collison to score last year but they need him to do more this year. He normally does, just not last night.

Reggie Jackson – 19 minutes, 8 points, 1 assist, 2 rebounds – B-

Jackson took 10 shots which was pretty amazing. Some were in garbage time. He looked good when he checked in scoring a few buckets at the rim right away. He hasn’t really been hitting his outside shot lately but he’s not exactly expected to do so. He was in there in crunch time instead of Martin as the Thunder went small.

Derek Fisher – 13 minutes, 3 points, 1 assist – C-

Fisher actually made a field goal which was weird to see. He finished 1-for-4 from the field for the game and was, for the most part, terrible. It’s really unacceptable that he plays over Ronnie Brewer.

Hasheem Thabeet – 6 minutes, 2 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal – B+

Thabeet only played in the first half and was actually very good out there. He was very active and his one basket was a nice dunk inside off a Collison assist.

Mar 27, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Washinton Wizards center Emeka Okafor (50) attempts a dunk 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 won their third straight game last night beating the Washington Wizards 103-80 at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

The Thunder held the Wizards to just 32.1 percent shooting from the field. John Wall, who scored 47 points in his last game vs. Memphis, had just 18 points and 12 assists last night.

The Thunder also took 41 free throws as a team and made 37 of them while Washington went just 21-for-29 from the line.

With the win, the Thunder pull to within a game and a half of the San Antonio Spurs for the best record in the Western Conference.

Here are the Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 31 minutes, 20 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists – B

The starters didn’t have to play much this game and Durant went into distributor mode getting the most assists he’s had in a game since March 8. Durant went 4-of-10 from the field but was a perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line. He also turned the ball over just twice.

Russell Westbrook – 25 minutes, 21 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds – B+

Westbrook picked up two quick fouls in the game and would sit for the rest of the first quarter. When he returned to the game, he was determined to get going and he did just that. He went 5-for-8 from the field and attacked the rim enough to take 11 free throws and make 10 of them.

Serge Ibaka – 29 minutes, 7 points, 7 rebounds, 4 blocks – C+

The last time Ibaka played the Wizards he scored a career-high 26 points. He wasn’t scoring last night as he shot just 2-of-8 from the field but he did other things like rebounding and blocking shots.

Kevin Martin – 23 minutes, 18 points, 1 assist, 1 rebound – B+

Martin has no problem going out there and torching a team like the Wizards. At least he did it but we’re still waiting for him to play this effectively against a team like the Spurs. He was 6-for-9 from the field and 3-for-4 from downtown.

Kendrick Perkins – 21 minutes, 6 points, 11 rebounds, 1 assist – B

Perkins was a defensive anchor last night and was great on the defensive glass. His offense was solid too although he did turn the ball over three times. The Thunder were also only plus-three with him out there.

Thabo Sefolosha – 19 minutes, 8 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal – B

Sefolosha knocked down a pair of threes and it feels like it’s been forever since he’s done that. He needs to knock down shots to be effective because it helps the rest of his game as well, opening up the drive more and making him more aggressive.

Nick Collison – 22 minutes, 6 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists – B+

Collison was essentially flawless again. Right when he checked in he immediately had two assists to Martin getting him going. Collison really took advantage of the Wizards’ poor defense and made them look silly on those plays.

Reggie Jackson – 23 minutes, 7 points, 2 assists, 1 rebound – B

Jackson got a little extra burn with Westbrook in early foul trouble. He immediately came in and made an impact scoring twice on drives. His confidence level is at an all-time high these days and it will be interesting to see how he does in the playoffs.

Derek Fisher – 14 minutes, 2 points, 1 assist, 2 steals – C

Fisher missed all three of his field goal attempts, two of which were threes. Fisher has gone six games in a row now in which he has played at least 11 minutes in each game and not made a single free throw. He’s 0-for-17 with four total points. Wow.

Hasheem Thabeet – 17 minutes, 2 points, 1 rebound, 2 blocks – B-

Thabeet did his usual scoring once then blocking a few shots and committing four fouls. Sounds about right.

Scott Brooks – B

This was an easy one for Brooks who didn’t have to do much to make sure the Thunder won. The key was him inserting Reggie Jackson in for Russell Westbrook after he picked up two quick ones instead of Derek Fisher. He’s still of course playing Fisher way too much which will always keep him from an A grade.

Mar 24, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) handles the ball against Portland Trailblazers guard Wesley Matthews (2) during the second half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Second half dominance lifted the Oklahoma City Thunder to their second straight win last night at home vs. the Portland Trail Blazers.

The Thunder trailed 45-47 at halftime and then outscored Portland 30-21 in the third quarter and 28-15 in the fourth.

Portland’s lack of depth played a major factor although they got quality performances from rookie Meyers Leonard off the bench as well as former Thunder point guard Eric Maynor.

LaMarcus Aldridge scored just 10 points in the game on 3-of-14 shooting.

The Thunder shot 52.4 percent from the field for the game and turned the ball over just 10 times.

Here are the Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 37 minutes, 24 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists – B+

Where have all the assists gone for KD? Once again, Durant turns it over more than he assists last night. He shot efficiently though going 10-for-17 from the field and 2-for-3 from three. But is he only shoots 17 times then it becomes sort of an issue that he is not an effective distributor throughout the other parts of the game. We’ll see if this worsens as the playoffs approach or if KD starts getting five-plus dimes per night again.

Russell Westbrook – 34 minutes, 21 points, 9 assists, 4 rebounds – B+

It’s nice to see Westbrook under control against an opponent that he should be. Westbrook shot 9-for-18 from the field and turned the ball over just twice. He made some fantastic plays in the open floor and was an unstoppable force all night.

Serge Ibaka – 27 minutes, 16 points, 3 rebounds, 5 blocks – B

Ibaka was dreadful in the first half picking up three quick fouls and not scoring. Then he absolutely made up for that in the second half scoring all of his 16 points in the last two quarters. His jumper was falling and that opened up the rest of his game as well.

Kevin Martin – 27 minutes, 11 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists – C+

Martin wasn’t terrible but it’s been awhile since he’s really looked like a big-time scoring threat. The Thunder need to see him get going again late in the season. He’s been getting more comfortable moving without the ball in the Thunder offense but just isn’t utilized enough anymore.

Kendrick Perkins – 24 minutes, 4 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals – B-

Perkins played good defense all night and made it tough for Portland to score inside. He did his job last night and you can’t expect much more from him.

Thabo Sefolosha – 19 minutes, 4 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists – C

Sefolosha didn’t get a lot of run last night and didn’t do much. The Thunder didn’t really need him defensively and as Portland went with two point guards at a time, the Thunder did the same which left Thabo out.

Nick Collison – 26 minutes, 10 points, 6 rebounds, 1 steal – A

Collison got extra minutes because Ibaka got into foul trouble in the first half and he made his absence unnoticed as he took over inside. Collison made it look easy patiently pump-faking and waiting for Portland defenders to fly by before finishing with easy layups. This was a big game from Collison.

Reggie Jackson – 15 minutes, 6 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds – A

Jackson returned to his impressive form last night after a couple of games where he didn’t do too much. He did everything scoring in transition, getting assists and rebounding. It was nice to see him being assertive and taking the ball up despite playing with Derek Fisher out there.

Derek Fisher – 15 minutes, 0 points, 1 assist, 1 rebound – D

He was awful again missing both shots he took and doing little else. He is taking minutes away from Jackson too which is a shame.

Hasheem Thabeet – 9 minutes, 5 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal – B

Thabeet was very active crashing the glass and finishing inside. He played his role to a T last night.

Mar 22, 2013; Orlando, FL, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant (35) celebrates after scoring a three point jump shot during the fourth quarter at Amway Center. Oklahoma City defeated Orlando 97-89. Mandatory Credit: Douglas Jones-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder got back in the win column last night beating the Orlando Magic 97-89 on the road.

The Thunder comfortably led 47-34 at halftime and then Orlando started to come back in the second half.

The Magic outscored the Thunder 32-23 in the third quarter and would tie the score late in the game.

The game was tied with 2:44 left before Kevin Durant made a three-pointer to give OKC an 89-86 lead.

The Thunder led the rest of the way while the final eight Thunder points were all scored by Durant and Russell Westbrook at the free throw line.

The Thunder improve to 51-19 on the year with the win and end their two-game losing streak. OKC will host the Portland Trail Blazers Sunday at 7 p.m. EST.

Here are the Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 41 minutes, 25 points, 8 rebounds, 2 rebounds – B

Durant shot efficiently but we’re used to that. He went 7-for-14 from the field, 2-for-3 from three and 9-for-11 from the free throw line. He finished with just two assists to five turnovers which has been a recent problematic trend for KD. He did finish off the Magic late in the fourth hitting a clutch three and some clutch free throws. Kind of feels like we haven’t seen the best of KD in awhile.

Russell Westbrook – 35 minutes, 19 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds – B-

Westbrook was pretty quiet for most of this game and then really started to assert himself in the fourth quarter as the Magic came back. He ended up with a three-to-one assist-to-turnover ratio which is a nice mark for him. He went 7-for-17 from the field which isn’t too bad either. He had an easy time driving to the rim against Orlando and the way in which he was successful doing it last night is something he won’t be able to replicate against a quality opponent.

Serge Ibaka – 36 minutes, 14 points, 13 rebounds, 5 blocks – B+

Ibaka bounced back and had a nice game after two very poor ones vs. Denver and Memphis. He made 5-of-11 shots and crashed the offensive boards for six rebounds. The Thunder need Ibaka to play this way more consistently.

Kevin Martin – 25 minutes, 15 points, 2 assists, 3 rebounds – B+

The Thunder were very good while Martin was on the floor last night outscoring Orlando by 16. Martin shot 50 percent from the field and from the three-point line which is all you can ask for him. His minutes have been going down recently and it’s starting to seem like he isn’t playing quite enough.

Kendrick Perkins – 26 minutes, 6 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks – C+

The Magic were without any true center last night as Nikola Vucevic missed the game. Perkins played a pretty typical game for him considering who the opponent was.

Thabo Sefolosha – 27 minutes, 5 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist – C

One of the reason this game was close at the end is Sefolosha’s inability to knock down any threes. He went 0-for-4 from distance in the game and still played more than Martin. When he isn’t making threes, he can become kind of a liability.

Nick Collison – 19 minutes, 11 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist – A

Collison was a game-time decision last night and then played a played very well. This is no surprise with Collison. When Collison can score, it is such a nice lift for this Thunder team. Orlando was shorthanded inside and Collison completely took advantage.

Reggie Jackson – 15 minutes, 2 points, 3 rebounds – C

Jackson didn’t really do much at all last night. He didn’t have any assists and went 0-for-2 from downtown. It’s hard to like the fact that almost all of his minutes are with Derek Fisher on the floor with him.

Derek Fisher – 12 minutes, 0 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist – D

Fisher went 0-for-3 from the field and is doing much more harm than good. Why is he playing?

DeAndre Liggins – 4 minutes, 0 points – C

Liggins gets the nod over Ronnie Brewer last night as Scott Brooks was looking for a spark from someone. Brewer just has to feel insulted by the way he is being treated by the Thunder and there’s nothing good about that.

Mar 20, 2013; Memphis, TN, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder power forward Nick Collison (4) comes down with the rebound over Memphis Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley (11) during the game at FedEx Forum. Memphis Grizzlies defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder in overtime with a score of 90-89. Mandatory Credit: Spruce DerdenUSA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder lost their second straight game last night on the road in overtime 90-89 to the Memphis Grizzlies.

Marc Gasol tipped in a Zach Randolph miss with less than a second to go in OT to lift the Grizzlies to the win.

The game only went into overtime because Jerryd Bayless made a very tough three-pointer with three seconds left in regulation.

The Thunder shot just 35.7 percent from the field and only made 2-of-18 three-pointers. They also had a season-low nine assists as a team.

Memphis had 19 offensive rebounds.

Here are the Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 48 minutes, 32 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists – B

Durant was fantastic in the third quarter scoring 15 points as he outscored the entire Grizzlies team in the quarter by himself. But then he cooled off and would only make two of his last nine field goal attempts. He hit a big shot on the second to last possession in overtime to give the Thunder the lead but overall did not shoot to his capability. He shot just 11-for-28 for the game and once again finished with more turnovers than assists.

Russell Westbrook – 41 minutes, 20 points, 3 assists, 4 rebounds – C

Westbrook never shoots well against Memphis and that was the case again last night as he went 7-for-25 from the field. Memphis plays him a little tighter than most teams and Westbrook can’t find his usual rhythm on his jumper and then starts pressing on drives as well. He hit some big free throws late and made a huge basket to give the Thunder the lead in the final seconds but this was still one of Westbrook’s worst games of the year.

Serge Ibaka – 22 minutes, 2 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks – F

Just two points from Ibaka in this game was completely unacceptable. He needs to be the Thunder’s third option all of the time, not just occasionally. He was completely outplayed by the Memphis frontline and should be embarrassed by his performance in this game.

Kevin Martin – 33 minutes, 17 points, 1 rebound, 2 steals – B

Martin was actually pretty solid last night and came through more than he usually does on the road. He was definitely not the problem. He didn’t have any assists but that is a credit to the Memphis defense as well.

Kendrick Perkins – 33 minutes, 2 points, 16 rebounds, 1 assist – B

Give Perkins a lot of credit for competing down low with the Memphis bigs all night. He helped contain Randolph to just 6-for-21 shooting and was a monster on the defensive glass.

Thabo Sefolosha – 20 minutes, 5 points, 1 rebound, 1 block – C

This was a very quiet game from Sefolosha who missed the only shot he took. The Thunder are always better when Sefolosha is able to do more things on offense and last night that was not the case at all.

Nick Collison – 29 minutes, 4 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists – B+

Collison played well in big minutes instead of Ibaka. But he only scored four points and that is again the difference between he and Ibaka. The Thunder need Ibaka playing better so they don’t need to rely on Collison as much, as good as Collison is.

Reggie Jackson – 23 minutes, 7 points, 3 rebounds, 1 block – B+

Jackson played very well again and he is starting to get more minutes in crunch time because of his defense. He didn’t have any assists but no one really did for OKC last night. He continues to show his ability to score driving to the rim and as a rebounder.

Derek Fisher – 11 minutes, 0 points – C

Fisher didn’t register a single statistic in 11 minutes last night. He was 0-for-4 from the field and 0-for-2 from there. The Thunder outscored Memphis by 13 with him in though.

Hasheem Thabeet – 5 minutes, 0 points, 2 rebounds – C

Thabeet didn’t shoot in limited minutes and only got a few boards and committed three fouls.

Mar 20, 2013; Memphis, TN, USA; Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol (33) guards Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant (35) during the game at FedEx Forum. Mandatory Credit: Spruce DerdenUSA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder lost their second game in a row tonight on the road vs. the Memphis Grizzlies 90-89 in overtime.

Kevin Durant scored 32 points and Russell Westbrook had 20 but both did not shoot efficiently from the floor. Durant went 11-for-28 and Westbrook 7-for-25.

Mike Conley led the Grizzlies with 24 points and Jerryd Bayless scored 20 points off the bench for Memphis.

Bayless made a three-pointer with three seconds left to tie the game at 83 apiece and send it into overtime.

Westbrook scored with 13 seconds left in overtime to give the Thunder an 89-88 lead.

Marc Gasol then hit what would be the game-winner with less than a second left when he rebounded a Zach Randolph miss and scored.

Kevin Martin scored 17 off the bench but Serge Ibaka was very quiet once again scoring just two points in 22 minutes.

The Thunder shot just 35.7 percent from the field for the game and made just 2-of-18 three-point attempts. They turned the ball over 15 times and had a season-low nine assists.

The Thunder were playing a back-to-back tonight after having lost at home to the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday.

The Thunder fall to 50-19 overall this season and will play next at Orlando on Friday night.

Mar 19, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) loses the ball while being guarded by Denver Nuggets forward Corey Brewer (13) during the second half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Denver Nuggets won their 13th game in a row last night defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder 114-104 at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

The Nuggets have really been on a roll lately and looked great last night. They killed the Thunder in the paint scoring 72 points there for the game, which was nearly their season-high.

The Thunder led 34-26 after the first quarter then Denver really got going in the second outscoring OKC 39-32. The Nuggets then led by seven after the third quarter.

The Thunder couldn’t make the plays down the stretch to come back as cold outside shooting was a big reason why. OKC made just 4-of-25 threes for the game.

Here are the Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 43 minutes, 34 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists – B

Durant played a lot of minutes so scoring 34 was not difficult for him. He really struggled with his shot again going 0-for-6 from behind the three-point line. He also turned it over six times. Durant seemed more intent on penetrating than usual last night and perhaps that was because his jumper wasn’t going down as much as usual. This was not his best performance.

Russell Westbrook – 37 minutes, 25 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds – B+

Westbrook played efficiently and the Thunder still lost. That rarely happens. He was 10-for-21 from the field but 0-for-4 from downtown. He only turned the ball over once and was again under control for the most part on his drives. He got off to a great start then kind of cooled down for the rest of the game.

Serge Ibaka – 24 minutes, 6 points, 2 rebounds, 3 blocks – D

The Thunder simply needed more from Ibaka last night. He only played half the game but that was because he wasn’t able to get back on defense or get any defensive rebounds. There’s no excuse for Ibaka to get outplayed the way he did last night.

Kevin Martin – 23 minutes, 14 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists – B

Martin has been playing better lately but his minutes have still been going down. He scored efficiently making 2-of-4 threes and 4-of-7 field goals overall. He even made plays for others with three assists. Scott Brooks has been consistently going with Thabo Sefolosha to close games out over Martin lately.

Kendrick Perkins – 23 minutes, 4 points, 11 rebounds, 1 block – B

Perkins did his job last night so you can’t really blame him for the loss. He got a bunch of rebounds and wasn’t a liability on offense either.

Thabo Sefolosha – 28 minutes, 8 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists – B

You can’t blame Thabo for getting the nod over Martin down the stretch and he’s played pretty well this season too. But last night the Thunder were simply better with Martin on the floor instead of Sefolosha. Sefolosha made a pair of threes in the game but both came in the fourth quarter and he was quiet offensively after.

Nick Collison – 26 minutes, 5 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists – B+

Collison got a lot of minutes instead of Ibaka because he could do a better job of getting back on defense. Collison was very good while he was out there but he simply cannot be the same scoring threat that Ibaka can be at times.

Reggie Jackson – 19 minutes, 8 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist – B

Jackson was kind of like a two-guard for most of his minutes last night. He had a couple of nice dunks and one missed dunk that would have been really nice. He went 0-for-4 from three but some of those were garbage attempts. Brooks had him out there instead of Martin for his defense as the Thunder tried to come back late (doesn’t make perfect sense). He also blocked two shots.

Derek Fisher – 11 minutes, 0 points, 2 steals – D

Fisher was a waste last night. He went 0-for-4 from the field with three of those attempts being threes. He also turned the ball over twice and had no assists. The Thunder were outscored by seven while he was out there but OKC outscored Denver by seven in Martin’s 23 minutes. Basically, Fisher was awful.

Ronnie Brewer – 5 minutes, 0 points – C

Brewer played very little early in the game as the Thunder went small to match the Nuggets. He was essentially playing power forward and couldn’t find any rhythm while he was out there.

Mar 17, 2013; Dallas, TX, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) shoots against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder completed their season series sweep of the Dallas Mavericks last night beating them 107-101 in Dallas to improve to 50-17 on the year.

The game was tight throughout but Russell Westbrook was playing so well that it was hard to imagine the Thunder losing.

The Thunder reserves didn’t show up quite as much as they do when they’re at home so Dallas was able to make this a game. The Thunder also only made 5-of-21 threes in the game.

Here are the Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 39 minutes, 31 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist – A-

Durant showed why he is the best closer in the league scoring 19 points in the fourth last night. Early in the quarter he scored an and-one on a drive to the hoop and yelled, “Give me the ball” after the play. He had some kind of chip on his shoulder down the stretch and it took him to another level. Durant had turnover problems again however with six in the game to just one assist. He now has four assists and 20 turnovers in the last three games.

Russell Westbrook – 37 minutes, 35 points, 6 assists, 6 rebounds – A

Westbrook was a monster in this one finishing at the rim especially. He went 13-for-23 from the field for the game but was 0-for-4 on threes. He scored 13 in the first quarter then 15 in the third. It was an under controlled penetrating Westbrook which is always the best one. He also managed three offensive rebounds but did have five turnovers.

Serge Ibaka – 40 minutes, 18 points, 16 rebounds, 3 blocks – A+

Ibaka was the perfect complement to Durant and Westbrook last night. The Thunder needed someone else to step up and Ibaka did just that. He went 7-for-11 from the field and had seven offensive rebounds. His offensive game has been developing rapidly lately and you can see his confidence growing game to game.

Kevin Martin – 24 minutes, 9 points, 2 assists, 1 rebound – C+

Martin only played half of the game as once again Thabo Sefolosha closed instead of him. He went 1-for-4 from three but was 3-for-5 on two-pointers and picked up a couple of assists. He’s been playing better lately, doing more things on offense but his minutes have also been dropping.

Kendrick Perkins – 28 minutes, 1 point, 6 rebounds, 1 block – C

Perkins did not have a big game last night and didn’t get a lot of minutes as Ibaka played a ton. Dirk Nowitzki scored 23 points on 8-of-10 shooting so Perkins didn’t exactly shut him down. Perkins had the worst plus-minus on the Thunder last night too. It feels like it’s been awhile since we’ve said that though to be fair.

Thabo Sefolosha – 28 minutes, 4 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists – B

Sefolosha is getting more minutes than Martin these days and he has been doing fine with the extra time. He didn’t hit any threes last night but helped out in other ways that we’re used to seeing from him.

Nick Collison – 18 minutes, 4 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists – B+

Collison usually plays a lot against Dallas because he’s great at defending Dirk. He didn’t get a ton of run last night but was solid while he was out there. You have to love seeing him get a few assists which is always key for the second unit.

Reggie Jackson – 13 minutes, 3 points, 2 assists, 1 steal – C+

Jackson has cooled off from his hot run a week or so ago. He went just 1-for-4 from the field and 1-for-3 from downtown, although the make was a crazy shot and one of his three-point misses was from beyond half court. He just didn’t have a lot of opportunities to create much last night and was quiet overall.

Derek Fisher – 12 minutes, 2 points, 1 assist, 1 rebound – C

Fisher did very little in his time on the court and missed the only three-pointer he took. He also committed three fouls in just 12 minutes.

Mar 15, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) handles the ball against Orlando Magic forward Tobias Harris (12) during the second half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder held on to beat the Orlando Magic 117-104 Friday night at Chesapeake Energy Arena to improve to 49-17 on the season.

The Thunder led by as many as 27 points in the game before the Magic made a run bringing the deficit down to as little as four at one point.

The starters couldn’t rest this fourth quarter and were forced to come back in for the Thudner and ensure the victory.

The Thunder had no issues getting good looks all night long as they shot 55.3 percent from the field as a team. What allowed the Magic to remain without shouting distance was OKC’s 29-for-43 shooting from the free throw line as a team.

Here are the Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 36 minutes, 26 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists – B+

It wasn’t the prettiest stat line for Durant but he came through when the Thunder needed him too (shocker). He hit a huge three at the end of the third quarter then scored five straight points for the Thunder late in the fourth to seal the deal. This is the second game in a row in which his turnovers have been high while the assists have been low. Over the last two games he has three assists to 14 turnovers, which is pretty terrible. Shooting 1-for-5 from downtown and 9-for-12 from the free throw line is pretty unlike KD too.

Russell Westbrook – 37 minutes, 23 points, 6 assists, 6 rebounds – A

It wasn’t Westbrook’s best game but give him a ton of credit for playing 37 minutes and not turning the ball over. That’s always a fantastic sign for the Thunder and a sign of growth in Westbrook’s game. He also went 3-for-6 from downtown which was nice to see as he looked very comfortable all night and when that’s the case, his shot is usually going down.

Serge Ibaka – 28 minutes, 20 points, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks – A

This was one of Ibaka’s best games of the year. He shot 8-of-10 from the field and the Thunder outscored Orlando by 13 while he was in. Ibaka showed a wide variety of scoring moves in this game which is always fun to see when thinking about the future of this Thunder team. Ibaka will definitely blossom into a more versatile scorer some day.

Kevin Martin – 22 minutes, 15 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists – B+

When Martin does things other than score, it’s always a big plus for OKC. The rebounding and now increasing of assists of late has been huge for the Thunder second unit. It seems to kind of make Martin better at scoring too when he’s trying to create rather than just settle for deep threes all night. We have been seeing lately Scott Brooks play Thabo Sefolosha in crunch time over Martin, especially when the Thunder have the lead, to get more defense on the floor.

Kendrick Perkins – 32 minutes, 5 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists – B+

Perkins didn’t exactly keep Nikola Vucevic off the glass all night because he had 14 rebounds but Perk got 12 boards of his own to even it out. Perkins has also been great all year passing the ball and got three assists last night. He can easily get these dimes against inferior teams that are  a beat late on their defensive rotations, which was the case vs. Orlando.

Thabo Sefolosha – 30 minutes, 5 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists – B

Sefolosha didn’t get a lot of shot attempts but still played well. He is always solid on defense and made a few nice plays, including a great no-look pass in the fourth, picking up three assists.

Nick Collison – 18 minutes, 7 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist – B

Just another day at the office for Collison that did his thing while playing more center than usual with Hasheem Thabeet missing the game with a sore lower back. It’s always a bonus when you can get seven points out of Collison.

Reggie Jackson – 13 minutes, 4 points, 1 assist, 1 rebound – B

Jackson was okay last night but didn’t seem to have the ball in his hands as much as he has been lately. He had one great highlight in the first half making a steal then finishing on the other end with a two-handed windmill.

Derek Fisher – 14 minutes, 4 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal – B

You can’t complain about Fisher when he knocks down shots. He’s always going to bring the defensive energy as well which worked well at times last night against a young Magic team.

Perry Jones, III – 11 minutes, 8 points, 5 rebounds – A+

Jones had his best game as a pro last night. He made his first four shots and just did a great job overall moving around in the offense. He got the nod because of Thabeet’s injury but maybe will start getting more burn if Brooks would rather go smaller with his second unit against some teams.

Mar 13, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) handles the ball against Utah Jazz guard Mo Williams (5) during the first half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder made quick work of the Utah Jazz last night defeating them 110-87 at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

The Thunder jumped out to a 10-point lead after the first quarter and then outscored Utah 21-9 in the second quarter to take a 50-28 lead into the half.

The Thunder shot 53.6 percent from the field for the game while they held the Paul Millsap-less Jazz to 35.0 percent shooting.

The Thunder are off tonight before hosting the Orlando Magic Friday night.

Here are the Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 29 minutes, 23 points, 10 rebounds, 0 assists – B

Durant didn’t have any problem putting the ball in the basket last night but passing the ball was another story. Durant didn’t record an assist for the first time all season while he turned the ball over eight times. What that says is Durant is not being assertive enough looking to score. It’s not a big deal when you blow out Utah but this was also the problem in the loss vs. the Spurs. He’s looking to get his teammates involved a little too much and he’s wasting nights where he could be dropping 40 on someone.

Russell Westbrook – 28 minutes, 19 points, 9 assists, 7 rebounds – A

This is as dominant as Westbrook can be in 28 minutes. He was efficient shooting the ball going 6-for-11 from the field but did turn the ball over five times. Flirting with a triple-double though in this amount of playing time is very impressive.

Serge Ibaka – 26 minutes, 10 points, 3 rebounds, 1 block – B

Ibaka’s lack of rebounds in a game like this is not a big deal. His role is contesting shots while Durant can easily help out on the defensive glass. Ibaka did get two offensive boards and 4-for-6 from the field is about what you come to expect from him as well.

Kevin Martin – 23 minutes, 15 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist – B+

It’s always nice to see Martin score in ways other than three-point shots. That’s a good litmus test for how well the Thunder are playing as a team. The second unit was great last night and Martin getting rolling was a big reason why.

Kendrick Perkins – 27 minutes, 0 points, 3 rebounds – C

Perkins did nothing on the offensive end and even turned the ball over four times but his defense on Al Jefferson saves him an F grade. Jefferson went just 4-for-13 from the field and didn’t attempt a free throw. Job well done Perk.

Thabo Sefolosha – 26 minutes, 7 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist – B

This was a solid game from Sefolosha who made 1-of-2 from distance and scored a few other ways as well. This is about what Thabo will give you on a nightly basis, but when it disappears it hurts.

Nick Collison – 19 minutes, 6 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists – A

Since James Harden is no longer around to get assists on the Thunder second unit, we’ve seen Collison start to get more. Five assists is a season-high for him and another great litmus test to gauge the Thunder bench squad. Of course, he did everything else perfectly as well including picking up three steals.

Reggie Jackson – 20 minutes, 12 points, 2 assists, 6 rebounds – A

When Jackson is hitting his shot from the outside, watch out. We already know he can get to the basket nearly at will and as his confidence rises in that perimeter jumper, it will open up everything for him. Just another great game and great work from Jackson last night and even got two of his six boards on the offensive end.

Derek Fisher – 19 minutes, 10 points, 1 assist – B+

It’s not a big deal that Fisher is playing big minutes if he is knocking down shots. He seems like he will more often than not do that at home.

Hasheem Thabeet – 15 minutes, 0 points, 4 rebounds, 1 block – C

This was not Thabeet’s best game who went 0-for-2 from the field. Usually, he does a little better in Thunder blowouts but no biggie, he still got a block.

Perry Joens, III and Ronnie Brewer each played the final five minutes of garbage time. They each scored four points.

Mar 11, 2013; San Antonio, TX, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) shoots against San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan (21) and Kawhi Leonard (2) during the second half at the AT

The Tony Parker-less San Antonio Spurs snapped the Oklahoma City Thunder’s five-game winning streak last night beating them 105-93 in San Antonio.

The Thunder were playing a back-to-back and after a great start in the first quarter in which they led 32-22, the Spurs would come roaring back.

The Spurs’ bench drastically outplayed the Thunder’s, especially in the second quarter where they outscored them 35-18.

San Antonio had the momentum from that point on and never looked back.

Here are the Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 40 minutes, 26 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists – B+

Durant has not had his best games this season vs. the Spurs. They are prepared to defend him as well as any team in the league and when you combine that with Durant’s altered offensive approach this season of being more of a playmaker, it results in games like this. Durant scored 26 but went just 7-for-13 from the field. He did go 11-for-11 from the free throw line but when Russell Westbrook is shooting as much as he is, you can easily see that Durant needed to shoot a little more in a game like this.

Russell Westbrook – 38 minutes, 25 points, 6 assists, 6 rebounds – B

It’s a good stat line for Russ but going 11-for-27 from the field vs. the Spurs isn’t going to get the job done. A big key to the Thunder’s success lately has been Westbrook being an efficient shooter. He wasn’t last night and also only went 2-of-3 from the free throw line. Against a team like the Spurs, Westbrook isn’t going to get the same calls when he drives so hard and appears out of control to the basket.

Serge Ibaka – 36 minutes, 13 points, 16 rebounds, 3 blocks – B+

Ibaka likes playing against the Spurs and that is very good news for the Thunder. He had 16 boards last night which is as dominant as you’ll ever see Ibaka in that department. He scored just 13 but went 4-of-6 on two-pointers (0-2 on threes). You love seeing Ibaka be aggressive enough to get to the line six times as well.

Kevin Martin – 20 minutes, 9 points, 1 steal – D

This just isn’t going to cut it for Martin against a team like San Antonio. We’re starting to see Martin lose minutes now because he can’t get it going against quality competition. This is very worrisome for the playoffs. Martin has been better recently running the offense and picking up a few assists here and there but he had none last night.

Kendrick Perkins – 35 minutes, 6 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists – C-

When the opposing team’s starting center goes 9-for-11 from the field then it is safe to say that Perkins did not do his job. Not all of Tiago Splitter’s minutes were with Perkins on the floor at least.

Thabo Sefolosha – 31 minutes, 7 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist – B-

Sefolosha was just a little bit less efficient than he normally is. Of course, that happens when the Thunder are playing the Spurs which is very bad timing for OKC. Overall, Sefolosha wasn’t terrible and it’s really Martin’s fault that we’re even relying on Thabo for offense this season.

Nick Collison – 17 minutes, 4 points, 2 rebounds – C

It wasn’t pretty for the Thunder bench last night and that includes Collison. OKC was outscored by 24 in Collison’s minutes which almost never happens. Collison also struggled himself turning the ball over three times.

Reggie Jackson – 11 minutes, 2 points, 2 assists, 3 rebounds – C+

Jackson had been playing great and the Thunder really could have used another great performance from him last night but that wasn’t quite the case. He went just 1-for-4 from the field but the other aspects of his game were still there (rebounding and a few assists).

Derek Fisher – 12 minutes, 1 point, 1 rebound – D

Fisher’s 12 minutes last night were officially a waste. Why not Ronnie Brewer? This needs to change fast.

Mar 10, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) handles the ball against Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce (34) and Celtics guard Jason Terry (4) during the second half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder won their fifth straight game Sunday afternoon beating the Boston Celtics 91-79 at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

The Thunder consistently outplayed the Celtics throughout the game as every single Thunder player had a positive plus-minus for the game.

The Thunder led by just three entering the fourth quarter then began to pull away led by their bench.

Nick Collison made a jumper off an assist from Reggie Jackson to open up the quarter then Jackson scored six straight points for OKC.

The Thunder held the Celtics to 37.7 percent field goal shooting for the game. The Thunder shot 44.1 percent and only had three offensive rebounds which contributed greatly to the game being so close.

Here are the Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 39 minutes, 23 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists – B

Durant had a pedestrian shooting performance again going 6-for-16 from the field and missing all four of his three-point attempts, which is always weird to see. He made up for it by going 11-for-11 from the free throw line though and also was active on the defensive glass.

Russell Westbrook – 34 minutes, 15 points, 2 assists, 1 rebound – C

You don’t see a lot of games for Westbrook like this one. He only scored 15 but he also only took 11 shots and made five of them. When he shoots that little he usually ends up with more assists but Durant being a little bit off may have contributed to that low number as well.

Serge Ibaka – 26 minutes, 7 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks – C+

Ibaka didn’t get a ton of minutes and was relatively quiet in the game. He went just 3-for-5 from the field but did have two assists, which is actually a very good number for him. The Celtics played a lot of smaller lineups so the Thunder had just one big out there for a good part of the game.

Kevin Martin – 29 minutes, 12 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds – B

Martin also missed all four of his three-point attempts in the game. You can imagine how this would have been a blowout if Durant and Martin were knocking down their threes. Martin scored in other ways though shooting 4-for-8 from inside the arc and getting to the line five times. Seeing him starting to get assists is a good sign for the Thunder too.

Kendrick Perkins – 31 minutes, 6 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists – B+

You knew Perkins would be up for this one playing against his old team. He had a very good Perkins game too not scoring a lot but getting a few boards and five dimes. He also helped limit Kevin Garnett to just a 5-for-19 shooting night.

Thabo Sefolosha – 24 minutes, 8 points, 3 rebounds, 3 steals – B+

This was a pretty solid outing for Sefolosha. He got less minutes than we’re used to seeing sometimes because Derek Fisher is now playing so much. He went 3-for-4 from the field and made plays on defense which is all the Thunder ask from him.

Nick Collison – 25 minutes, 8 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists – A

When Collison gets up over 20 minutes, it’s always a good thing for the Thunder. And if he’s scoring too, that’s also a good sign because he’s never not efficient. Collison did those things yesterday as the bench was at its best to start the fourth quarter.

Reggie Jackson – 16 minutes, 6 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist – B+

This was another good one from Jackson. He was especially great to start the fourth accounting for the first eight Thunder points with an assist and all six of his points. He rebounds so well too that it hasn’t been an issue yet with Fisher playing alongside him so much.

Derek Fisher – 14 minutes, 6 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist – B

It was Jackson in the fourth quarter and Fisher in the first half. If Fisher knocks down shots, he’s not a liability and can sort of be an asset. Still feels like Fisher turning his ankle might be the best thing that could happen to the Thunder at this point in the season.

Mar 8, 2013; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Bobcats shooting guard Gerald Henderson (9) goes up for a shot against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half at Time Warner Arena. The Thunder won 116-94. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder destroyed the Charlotte Bobcats again last night 116-94 on the road to improve to 46-16 on the year.

The Thunder came out with little energy but it didn’t matter. Charlotte led 29-28 after the first quarter but then the Thunder would go on to score the first 19 points of the second quarter and run away with it.

OKC outscored Charlotte 62-37 in the second and third quarters and as expected, did not need to play their starters in the final period.

The Thunder are off today before hosting the Boston Celtics tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m. EST.

Here are the Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 24 minutes, 19 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists – B+

Durant came out very passive in this one and only scored two points in the first quarter and had just seven at the half. It didn’t matter of course as Durant was doing his best job to get his teammates going. Durant could have easily ended up with a triple-double had he played more.

Russell Westbrook – 25 minutes, 11 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds – B

Westbrook was just like Durant early on passing more than looking for his own shot. He shot okay and didn’t go to the free throw line at all.

Serge Ibaka – 24 minutes, 12 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks – B+

Ibaka was the catalyst early on scoring eight of the team’s first 13 points. He was very aggressive and showed off a few nice moves inside. He missed both of his three-point attempts and other than that went 5-for-6 from the field.

Kevin Martin – 20 minutes, 11 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist – B-

Martin went just 4-for-10 from the field but made half of his six three-point attempts. It was a good game for him to find his shooting touch as he has been struggling of late.

Kendrick Perkins – 23 minutes, 5 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist – B

There wasn’t much for Perkins to do in this one other than keep Charlotte off the offensive glass. He accomplished that with ease.

Thabo Sefolosha – 25 minutes, 13 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist – B+

Sefolosha along with Ibaka carried the scoring load early on. He had five of the team’s first 13 points. He made 5-of-6 shots for the game and all three of his three-point attempts. Like Martin, it was a good game for Sefolosha to see his shot go in a few times.

Nick Collison – 11 minutes, 4 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists – B+

Collison was solid as usual and picked up a couple dimes which is always a good sign that the second unit is running their offense efficiently. It just feels like Collison doesn’t want to waste his time with games like this.

Reggie Jackson – 25 minutes, 9 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds – B+

Jackson finished at the rim and knocked down a few jumpers too. He ran the offense nicely getting five assists to zero turnovers. It’s hard not to get excited whenever he checks in these days.

Hasheem Thabeet – 22 minutes, 8 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks – A+

You could tell Scott Brooks wanted to give Thabeet a lot of run last night and Thabeet responded with possibly his best game of the year. He made 4-of-6 shots and even hit a turnaround jumper out of a post-up. He had four offensive rebounds including one of which was a tip slam. Then he blocked three shots and of course nearly fouled out with five personals.

Derek Fisher – 14 minutes, 13 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds – A

When Fisher goes 5-for-6 from the field and makes all three of his three-point attempts, it’s hard to be mad about him playing a lot. Until Fisher can do this against a quality opponent, it will be troubling every time he takes the floor.

Perry Jones, III – 12 minutes, 6 points, 4 rebounds, 1 block – B

Jones knocked down a nice open jumper from the top of the key and got a dunk off a nice dime from Jackson for his other field goal. It’s nice to see the second unit running the same offense that the first does.

Ronnie Brewer and Jeremy Lamb played the final seven minutes of the game and didn’t do much. Lamb knocked down a three and scored five points.

Mar. 7, 2013; New York, NY, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook (0) and New York Knicks power forward Amar

The Oklahoma City Thunder escaped Madison Square Garden last night with a 95-94 win over the New York Knicks, who were without Carmelo Anthony for the game.

The Knicks rode a spark from J.R. Smith off the bench to surge into the lead by the start of the fourth quarter. Smith led New York with 36 points on the night and made six three-pointers.

Smith missed the potential game-tying shot as time expired when Russell Westbrook forced him into a fadeaway from the left wing and the shot came up short.

The Thunder improve to 45-16 on the year and have now won six of their last seven games. They’ll play again tonight on the road vs. the Charlotte Bobcats.

Here are the Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 44 minutes, 34 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists – A-

Durant looked like he wanted to have a gigantic night playing in MSG for the only time this season. He was gunning late but ended up doing most of his work from the free throw line where he was 14-for-15. Durant struggled holding on to the ball too and turned it over seven times on the night, often while trying to make difficult passes.

Russell Westbrook – 36 minutes, 21 points, 5 assists, 6 rebounds – B

Westbrook came out on fire again and scored 15 points in the first quarter. Then he really cooled off and that was a big reason why the Knicks were able to come back and take the lead. Westbrook was settling for a lot of jumpers and couldn’t get to the rim late as much as he did early on.

Serge Ibaka – 40 minutes, 12 points, 9 rebounds, 5 blocks – A-

Ibaka played a lot of minutes probably because he was a real presence inside blocking shots early on. The Knicks went small and the Thunder followed suit with Ibaka at the center spot for most of the night. He went 5-for-7 from the field as well.

Kevin Martin – 32 minutes, 16 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists – B+

It was a rare game for Martin in which he had all-around numbers. He’s getting better at creating for teammates in the Thunder offense. He was really efficient shooting too as he went 4-for-6 from the field and 3-for-5 from behind the three-point line.

Kendrick Perkins – 20 minutes, 2 points, 8 rebounds, 1 block – C+

There was not a lot of need to play Perkins last night with the Knicks using so many small lineups. Perkins rebounded well while he was out there but that was about it.

Thabo Sefolosha – 31 minutes, 2 points, 1 rebound, 2 steals – C

Sefolosha only took two shots in the game and missed what was his only three-point attempt. He would have been much more valuable had Anthony played but really he was only used to space the floor last night and didn’t get a lot of looks.

Nick Collison – 10 minutes, 0 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist – B

Collison did not score and only took one shot but the Thunder outscored New York by eight in his 10 minutes. Other than that, nothing really stood out for Collison last night.

Reggie Jackson – 12 minutes, 8 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal – A-

Jackson was great again and last night made both of his three-point attempts. He also finished at the rim on a tough drive to the basket. It keeps feeling more and more like he will become a huge weapon for the Thunder very soon.

Derek Fisher – 15 minutes, 0 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal – D

It’s very troubling that Fisher is playing this much while someone like Ronnie Brewer is just sitting at the end of the bench. Fisher went 0-for-4 from the field and 0-for-2 from three last night.

Mar. 7, 2013; New York, NY, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook (0) goes up for a shot between New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler (6) and point guard Raymond Felton (2) during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

J.R. Smith missed a jump shot as time expired as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the New York Knicks 95-94 at Madison Square Garden Thursday night.

Smith led the Knicks with 36 points on the night and had 31 of those points in the second and third quarters. New York led 81-75 entering the final period but the Thunder shut down Smith and the Knicks in the final frame.

Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 34 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Durant played 44 minutes in the game and did a lot of his work at the free throw line where he was 14-for-15.

Carmelo Anthony did not play in the game for New York as he missed his second straight game with a sore right knee.

Russell Westbrook led the way early for OKC scoring 15 of his 21 points in the first quarter. Kevin Martin was super efficient with 16 points on 4-of-6 shooting off the bench.

The Knicks took the lead 94-93 with 1:38 left in the game after two free throws by Amare Stoudemire, who scored 16 points off the bench.

Durant would get to the line on the next possession for the Thunder and make both attempts, which turned out to be the game-winners for OKC.

The Thunder have now won six of their last seven games and pull to within two and a half games of the San Antonio Spurs for the best record in the Western Conference.

The Thunder will play again tomorrow night on the road vs. the Charlotte Bobcats.

Mar 5, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) handles the ball against Los Angeles Lakers forward Earl Clark (6) during the second half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Los Angeles Lakers 122-105 at Chesapeake Energy Arena last night to improve to 44-16 on the year.

The Thunder tied an NBA record with just two turnovers in the game as they were very efficient all night long.

The Thunder shot 47.9 percent from the field and held the Lakers to 40.3 percent.

Kobe Bryant scored 30 to lead LA but Steve Nash and Dwight Howard were held in check. Nash finished with 20 but Howard had just six and each shot just 2-for-14 combined in the first half.

The Thunder are off tonight and will host the New York Knicks Thursday night.

Here are the Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 40 minutes, 26 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists – A

Durant actually didn’t shoot too well and missed a lot of easy looks we’re used to seeing him make. He had a lot of room to work with handling the ball in the pick-and-roll and was very aggressive looking to shoot because of that. The Lakers really dodged a bullet with Durant having a pedestrian shooting night because he could have easily gone for 40.

Russell Westbrook – 36 minutes, 37 points, 5 assists, 10 rebounds – A+

Westbrook had another huge first quarter out of the gates scoring 13. He had scored 18, 15 and 14 points in the first quarters of his last three games before last night. The hot start lasted for Westbrook too as he shot 15-for-29 from the field for the game. An efficient Westbrook is a scary thing for any opposing team. He had just one turnover in the game too and that didn’t come until the fourth quarter.

Serge Ibaka – 28 minutes, 13 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks – B+

Ibaka was efficient shooting 6-for-8 from the field and solid on the defensive end. He had both of his blocks on one possession in the first quarter when he met Howard at the summit and denied his dunk attempt then blocked Earl Clark on the follow. That kind of set a tone at least for Howard having a horrible game.

Kevin Martin – 29 minutes, 11 points, 5 assists, 1 rebound – A-

Martin went 3-for-11 from behind the three-point line and 0-for-1 from inside it. The five dimes were a season-high and a representation of the improved chemistry between Martin and the second unit. He was aggressive shooting early like last game and looked at first like he would be getting out of his slump but he ended up shooting not so well overall in the end.

Kendrick Perkins – 20 minutes, 2 points, 5 rebounds – B

Perkins contained Howard and shut him down but that isn’t as impressive this season as it used to be. Other than that, Perkins was 0-for-5 from the field.

Thabo Sefolosha – 28 minutes, 5 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist – B

Sefolosha didn’t get a lot of looks on offense going just 2-for-4 from the field and didn’t exactly hold Kobe in check at the other end. Kobe did have to really work for his though and credit Sefolosha there that does one of the best jobs anyone in the league does on Kobe.

Nick Collison – 13 minutes, 6 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist – B+

Collison cannot cover Howard straight up but that wasn’t a big deal last night. He was great on the offensive glass and finishing around the rim a few times. Just another solid performance from Collison.

Reggie Jackson – 13 minutes, 10 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists – A-

Jackson continues his hot play making 5-of-7 shots last night and scoring in double-digits. Jackson looked unstoppable driving to the rim on the fast break and in the pick-and-roll. The Thunder were running that pick-and-roll set for Jackson that they used to for James Harden last year and Jackson had similar results picking apart the Lakers defense.

Derek Fisher – 18 minutes, 10 points, 2 steals – A

After going scoreless in his first two appearances for the Thunder this season, Fisher was great last night. He made 3-of-4 shots and scored 10. If Fisher can make shots, he will be fine playing a lot of minutes for OKC. It just feels unlikely this will be the case so much. Fortunately for the Thunder Jackson also played very well so it’s not as if Fisher has a chance of stealing his job.

Hasheem Thabeet – 7 minutes, 2 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist – B

Thabeet didn’t play a lot of minutes because Howard really didn’t either. He held his own vs. Howard while he was in there though and finished one shot nicely as the roll man.

Ronnie Brewer – 6 minutes, 1 rebound, 1 steal – B-

Brewer got in during the second quarter when Sefolosha usually returns. He didn’t play long and was used primarily to check Kobe, who didn’t do anything remarkable against him. Brewer did commit one of the Thunder’s two turnovers in the game which is just so disappointing.

Mar 3, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul (3) falls during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder survived a late rally by the Los Angeles Clippers Sunday afternoon to beat them 108-104 and improve to 43-16 on the year.

The Thunder led by as many as 19 points in the third quarter before the Clippers cut that lead to nine entering the fourth quarter.

The Clippers actually took the lead with 90 seconds left thanks to a 7-point possession capped off by a Jamal Crawford three-pointer.

The Thunder came through late though with a couple of timely buckets by Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka.

The Thunder are off today and will host the Los Angeles Lakers tomorrow night for their next game.

Here are the Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 45 minutes, 35 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists – A

Durant had a big scoring night but wasn’t as present late for the Thunder as you would expect. The Clippers went to a zone late in the game and Durant admitted that it took him out of his rhythm a little bit. KD was still great shooting 10-for-25 from the field and 12-for-15 from the free throw line.

Russell Westbrook – 40 minutes, 29 points, 10 assists, 6 rebounds – A+

Westbrook played the role of closer last night and outplayed Chris Paul for nearly all of the game. Westbrook made his last four shots including some really big baskets in the final minutes. He was great in the pick-and-roll scoring at the rim as well as finding his teammates. This was definitely one of Westbrook’s best games of the year, something he doesn’t have too often when playing on national television.

Serge Ibaka – 30 minutes, 16 points, 3 rebounds, 2 blocks – B

Ibaka was very crucial to the win emerging as the Thunder’s third scorer. He went 7-for-9 from the field and had a huge and-one layup in the final minutes. He was very aggressive but did not rebound well. He actually had no defensive rebounds which could have been a bigger problem for the Thunder than it ended up being.

Kevin Martin – 24 minutes, 10 points, 1 assist, 3 steals – C+

Martin went just 3-for-12 from the field as he was really trying to find his shot early on. He missed a lot of easy shots and overall did not play too well. The aggression was still good to see from him.

Kendrick Perkins – 27 minutes, 2 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists – B

This was actually a pretty nice game from Perkins. He rebounded and his four dimes are a very good number. He found Ibaka a few times after receiving passes in the paint. The big-to-big passing can sometimes be a big strength for the Thunder and last night was a great example of that.

Thabo Sefolosha – 39 minutes, 9 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals – B+

Sefolosha played a lot of minutes as Scott Brooks did not play Derek Fisher or Ronnie Brewer at all. He scored some which was needed with Martin not giving OKC much. He didn’t guard Paul as much as was expected but when he was on him did a really good job.

Nick Collison – 19 minutes, 2 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist – B

Collison’s lineups were not as successful yesterday and that had a lot to do with Martin being unable to score much. Collison still ended up with two offensive boards but committed four fouls as well.

Reggie Jackson – 8 minutes, 4 points, 1 assist, 1 rebound – B

Jackson had a nice driving layup in the first half but would not play much in this one. Westbrook really had it going and when the Clippers went zone in the second half, it negated what Jackson could bring to the floor.

Hasheem Thabeet – 9 minutes, 1 point, 1 rebound, 3 blocks – B

Thabeet did his job in limited minutes. Blocking three shots is always nice to see from Thabeet. He was a presence.

Mar 3, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook (0) handles the ball against Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul (3) at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

Russell Westbrook made the final four field goals he took as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Los Angeles Clippers 108-104 Sunday afternoon at Staples Center.

Westbrook led the Thunder with 29 points, 10 assists and six rebounds. He went 11-for-20 from the field and helped the Thunder to an early lead after scoring 14 points in the first quarter.

The Clippers trailed by nine entering the fourth quarter then stormed back thanks to a 7-point possession capped off by a three-pointer by Jamal Crawford that gave the Clippers a 100-99 lead with 1:30 left in the game.

The Thunder responded though with the next five points of the game then hung on to get the win in the final minutes.

Kevin Durant scored a game-high 35 points to go with nine rebounds and four assists.

The Thunder also got a big game from Serge Ibaka who scored 16 points to go with three rebounds and two blocks.

The Clippers were led by Chris Paul who had 26 points and eight assists. Blake Griffin scored 20 points to go with nine rebounds and five assists before fouling out with 59 seconds left.

The Thunder improve to 43-16 with the win and are now a game and a half ahead of the Clippers for the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.

The Thunder will play next at home Tuesday night vs. the Los Angeles Lakers.

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

Ty Lawson made a jump shot with 0.2 seconds left to lift the Denver Nuggets past the Oklahoma City Thunder 105-103 Friday night at the Pepsi Center.

The Thunder trailed by 10 points entering the fourth quarter but would storm back early in the final period to make this game close.

Denver burned the Thunder early and often in this game with fast break points and points in the paint. The Nuggets had 20 fast break points and 60 points in the paint for the game.

Denver also had a huge advantage in terms of their bench contribution getting 71 points from their bench while OKC got just 11.

The Thunder fall to 42-16 on the year with the loss and end their three-game winning streak. They will play on the road vs. the Los Angeles Clippers tomorrow for their next game.

Here are the Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 40 minutes, 25 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists – B

Durant did not shoot it particularly well last night and it hurt the Thunder. He went just 9-for-20 from the field and had more turnovers (4) than assists (3). He missed three shots in a row in the final minutes of the game then made a great driving bank shot to tie the game at 103. He made a few ridiculous layups in the game but overall it was not his best effort.

Russell Westbrook – 38 minutes, 38 points, 5 assists, 6 rebounds – A

Westbrook had one of his best games of the year last night and it would have been his best if he would have made his free throws. Westbrook went just 12-for-17 from the free throw line which essentially cost the Thunder the win. He was very aggressive as he seemed to feed off the booing from the Denver crowd. He finished at the rim as well as he has all season and was the primary ball handler down the stretch instead of Durant.

Serge Ibaka – 38 minutes, 17 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks – B+

Ibaka got a lot of minutes and produced fairly well. He hit a few jumpers including a three and had some makes inside as he crashed the glass for three offensive boards. He also moved the ball around nicely a few times within the offense which is something he has been getting better at this season.

Kevin Martin – 24 minutes, 3 points, 2 rebounds, 1 block – F

The Thunder cannot afford to have Marin score just three points in a game. He was scoreless in the first half and hardly played and had no rhythm whatsoever all night.

Kendrick Perkins – 21 minutes, 4 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists – C

Perkins made some nice passes but that was about all he did well. He just didn’t seem athletic enough to compete in this game and the Thunder were better off with him off the floor and Ibaka or Nick Collison in at the five instead.

Thabo Sefolosha – 37 minutes, 8 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists – B+

Sefolosha knocked down a couple of threes in the fourth quarter and did a ton of other things as well. The 12 boards is a season-high for him and he also had two steals and three blocks. The only issue is that he let Lawson nail the jumper in his face to lose OKC the game.

Nick Collison – 22 minutes, 2 points, 4 rebounds, 1 block – B+

Collison was solid as usual. Three of his four boards came on the offensive end. The second unit for OKC couldn’t muster much offense however but it wasn’t Collison’s fault.

Reggie Jackson – 16 minutes, 6 points, 1 assist, 1 rebound – B+

Jackson was pretty good again scoring a few times at the rim and with a jumper. He turned the ball over twice but made up for one of those by taking a charge at the other end. It’s only a matter of time before he posterizes someone too by the way.

Derek Fisher – 5 minutes, 0 points, 1 assist – F

Fisher is just plain awful. He threw up two bricks and missed both in five minutes. OKC was outscored by seven with him out there. He needs to stop getting minutes.

Feb 27, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) attempts a shot against New Orleans Hornets guard Austin Rivers (25) during the second half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder destroyed the New Orleans Hornets last night 119-74 at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

The win was the third in a row for the Thunder. After holding the Chicago Bulls to 29 percent shooting in their last game, New Orleans shot just 35 percent last night.

The Thunder led by 17 at halftime and then outscored the Hornets 57-29 in the second half. The Thunder had an insane 48-25 rebounding advantage for the game.

Here are the Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 27 minutes, 18 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists – A+

Durant recorded his third triple-double of the season and his career. It was a very quick one too doing it in just 27 minutes. He continues to play the role of playmaker rather than scorer and last night it was a good thing. The Hornets made it easy for Durant to find open teammates but give KD credit too because some of his dimes were very impressive.

Russell Westbrook – 26 minutes, 29 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds – A

With Durant essentially playing point guard, Westbrook became the scorer. He had 18 in the first quarter including 8-for-8 free throws and finished with more point than minutes. His pull-up jumper was falling and that opened up everything else for him driving to the rim. Greivis Vasquez simply cannot stay in front of Westbrook and he abused him.

Serge Ibaka – 23 minutes, 18 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks – A

Ibaka was hitting his jumper but finishing around the rim a lot as well. He went 9-for-11 from the field and had four offensive rebounds. He was very aggressive and persistent getting shots to go down from in the paint.

Kevin Martin – 18 minutes, 14 points, 3 rebounds – B+

Martin was really efficient last night shooting 5-for-7 from the field and making both of his three-point attempts. He has shot the ball very well vs. the Hornets this season averaging 20-plus points per game against them in four games.

Kendrick Perkins – 23 minutes, 0 points, 4 rebounds, 4 blocks – B

Perkins didn’t score but definitely didn’t have to. He played great defense and did have three assists as well.

Thabo Sefolosha – 25 minutes, 8 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals – B

When Westbrook is in full-on scoring mode, either Ibaka or Sefolosha gets less open looks. Last night it was Sefolosha who didn’t even attempt a three in the game. He still played well cutting to the rim nicely on a few occasions and scoring some.

Nick Collison – 14 minutes, 0 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists – B+

Collison missed his only shot attempt in the game but still was great offensively picking up four assists. When he has at least four assists in a game this season, the Thunder are 6-1.

Reggie Jackson – 22 minutes, 14 points, 3 assists, 1 rebound – A

Jackson looked good again. He made 6-of-10 shots and turned the ball over only once. He knocked down 2-of-3 threes which he has been doing pretty well lately. Unfortunately, it looks like Derek Fisher might be taking away some of his minutes.

Derek Fisher – 21 minutes, 0 points, 2 assists, 1 steal – D

Fisher made his Thunder debut this season and was not very good. He missed all four bricks he threw up from three and did little else. He is just out there spacing the floor and trying to play defense, which he is not very good at either. He came in with Jackson in the second quarter on the second unit which is not a good sign for the Thunder.

Hasheem Thabeet – 7 minutes, 0 points, 3 rebounds, 1 block – C

Thabeet didn’t get many minutes but came in and did his job. He finished with a few boards and of course blocked one shot, which was very impressive actually.

Perry Jones, III – 15 minutes, 9 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal – B+

Jones posts a career-high nine points on 3-of-5 shooting. He knocked down a nice jumper and had a nice dunk off a cut too. He looked better than usual but still has a long way to go.

Ronnie Brewer – 12 minutes, 5 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals – B

Brewer also made his Thunder debut last night and was much better than Fisher. It was pretty much all garbage time but Brewer still showed that he can do, which is a lot of things. Hopefully, we will see Brewer getting in the game instead of Fisher by the playoffs.

DeAndre Liggins – 9 minutes, 4 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal – B

Liggins is always great while he’s out there, no matter how short the time. It’s kind of too bad he will probably rarely be playing now with the acquisition of Brewer.

Feb 24, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) attempts a shot against Chicago Bulls forward Carlos Boozer (5) and Bulls guard Nate Robinson (2) during the second half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder blew out the Chicago Bulls Sunday night at Chesapeake Energy Arena 102-72 to improve to 41-15 on the year.

It was the second straight win for the Thunder after losing a season-worst three in a row before that. The Thunder also sweep the season series with Chicago.

OKC led by 13 at halftime then doubled that lead after outscoring the Bulls 31-18 in the third quarter. The Bulls shot just 29.1 percent from the field for the game.

The Thunder will be off two days now before hosting the New Orleans Hornets Wednesday night.

Here are the Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 32 minutes, 19 points, 16 rebounds, 6 assists – A-

Durant has been in distributor mode lately and that was the case again last night. He actually had an off shooting night as well starting the game 4-for-17 before hitting his last two jumpers. The 16 boards was really a testament to the blowout and how poor Chicago shot for the game.

Russell Westbrook – 32 minutes, 23 points, 3 assists, 1 rebound – A

Westbrook had his jumper going down once again and that meant a more controlled Westbrook who would dominate the helpless Bulls. When Westbrook shoots over 50 percent from the field, the Thunder are so tough to beat. Westbrook had it easy with Nate Robinson guarding him for most of the game and didn’t have a ton of assists because the Thunder frankly didn’t shoot all that well for the game.

Serge Ibaka – 30 minutes, 17 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks – A+

This was a great game for Ibaka and the more he starts having these games on a regular basis, the better for the Thunder. Ibaka had five offensive boards and was very aggressive all night. He was rolling to the rim hard and knocking down his jumper, including a three-pointer.

Kevin Martin – 20 minutes, 5 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists – C

Martin wasn’t needed to produce last night and that’s a good thing for OKC because he didn’t. He went 1-for-4 from downtown and never got going. Chicago’s defense was tough on him as a few times he tried to cut to the basket and passes for him resulted in turnovers.

Kendrick Perkins – 25 minutes, 0 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks – C+

Perkins didn’t score but he still played well. His defense was solid and he rebounded well which he needed to do knowing the Bulls would crash the glass like crazy.

Thabo Sefolosha – 23 minutes, 11 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist – A

This was a very nice game from Sefolosha who has been looking very solid on the offensive end as of late. With Martin not giving OKC much, Sefolosha really stepped out and contributed to the blowout.

Nick Collison – 14 minutes, 4 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists – B+

Collison continues to build on his chemistry with Martin in the second unit. It wasn’t fully on display last night but you can sense it every now and then. Collison had a great moment in the third quarter diving to the ground for a loose ball that he shouldn’t have gotten and then passing to Ibaka from the floor for one of his assists.

Reggie Jackson – 16 minutes, 7 points, 2 rebounds – B+

Jackson had a couple of really nice drives and finishes. He keeps looking more confident in his game and he has the talent to be a real scorer off the bench in this league.

Hasheem Thabeet – 11 minutes, 1 point, 2 rebounds, 1 block – C+

Thabeet didn’t score at all but of course got a block.

Jeremy Lamb – 12 minutes, 9 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal – B+

Lamb only played in the fourth quarter and scored nine quick points. He hit a midrange jumper and a three and looked pretty good out there. He still isn’t sharp on defense which is definitely why he hasn’t been playing this year. He has a lot of talent though which is easy to spot even in limited minutes.

Feb 22, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Kevin Martin (23) handles the ball against Minnesota Timberwolves guard Alexy Shved (1) during the second half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder snapped their three-game losing streak Friday night beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 127-111 at Chesapeake Energy Arena to improve to 40-15 on the year.

The Thunder were shooting 65 percent from the field after three quarters thanks to a 73 percent shooting effort in the third period in which they outscored Minnesota 34-25.

OKC would go 9-for-14 on threes for the game and make all 22 of their free throws.

The Thunder will be off tonight and back in action tomorrow night at home vs. the Chicago Bulls.

Here are the Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 37 minutes, 27 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists – A

Durant was in distributor mode again last night resulting in seven dimes. He did turn the ball over four times as he still needs to improve his decision-making on some of the passes he is trying. KD made all eight of his free throw attempts and shot over 50 percent from the field.

Russell Westbrook – 35 minutes, 37 points, 9 assists, 7 rebounds – A+

This was one of Westbrook’s best games of the year as he scored a season-high 37. He always seems to be very aggressive against the Timberwolves and that is because he sees their point guards as inferior defenders on him. He went 13-for-22 from the field and good luck beating the Thunder when Westbrook does that.

Serge Ibaka – 27 minutes, 6 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks – C+

It wasn’t a big night for Ibaka who only took four shots and made three of them. With Westbrook looking for his shot so often, it resulted in less looks for Ibaka.

Kevin Martin – 25 minutes, 19 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist – B+

Scoring 19 points in 25 minutes is always a very good thing. Amazingly, Martin would foul out for the first time this season though. He went 7-for-11 from the field and made 2-of-4 threes.

Kendrick Perkins – 25 minutes, 10 points, 7 rebounds, 1 block – B+

Perkins returned from missing the last game with a sprained right knee and looked very good. He made 4-of-6 shots including a few very tough ones and was a force on defense all night. He’s always going to be open on offense and Durant found him many times and Perkins made the most of those opportunities either scoring or swinging the ball around.

Thabo Sefolosha – 34 minutes, 7 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists – B

Sefolosha was coming off a career-high 28 points on Wednesday night in Houston. He was much quieter last night but still solid. He scored a little and played great defense. His passing felt particularly effective although he only ended up with two assists.

Nick Collison – 17 minutes, 8 points, 4 assists – B+

Collison didn’t get any rebounds and the Timberwolves played the Thunder even in his 17 minutes. Collison had four assists which is always a great sign for the Thunder second unit that they are moving the ball around nicely.

Reggie Jackson – 13 minutes, 3 points, 4 assists, 1 steal – B

Jackson continues to look very good each game he plays. Last night he was passing it real well and getting his dimes off dribble penetration. He made the one three he attempted and did not turn the ball over once.

Hasheem Thabeet – 10 minutes, 4 points, 3 rebounds – B

Thabeet went 2-for-2 from the field and didn’t block a shot for the first time in what feels like forever.

Perry Jones, DeAndre Liggins, Jeremy Lamb and Daniel Orton all played a few minutes at the end of the game.

Feb 20, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets shooting guard James Harden (13) drives the ball to the basket during the fourth quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Toyota Center. The Rockets defeated the Thunder 122-119. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

James Harden completely took over down the stretch as the Houston Rockets beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 122-119 last night.

Houston was trailing by 14 points with just over six minutes to go before Harden went off, scoring 14 points in those final six minutes.

The Thunder shot well and got after it on the offensive glass going against a shorthanded Houston team but they turned the ball over 22 times.

The Rockets also made 15 threes in the game and their ball movement on offense was fantastic as they racked up 26 assists.

The Thunder were without Kendrick Perkins for the game who missed it with a sprained right knee.

The Thunder have lost three games in a row for the first time this season now and will look to get back to winning Friday night at home vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Here are the Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 42 minutes, 16 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists – B

Durant got his second career triple-double but he really didn’t play all that well. He was very passive and had five turnovers including a few costly ones in the fourth quarter. He missed his last six shots as well while Harden was taking over on the other end. Durant didn’t look right either and appeared to be injured in some way, possibly the rib contusion he suffered last week is still bothering him.

Russell Westbrook – 42 minutes, 28 points, 8 assists, 10 rebounds – B+

Westbrook had turnover problems like Durant with seven of his own but that is kind of expected with him. He went 8-of-20 from the field and 9-of-10 from the line and nearly had a triple-double of his own. Jeremy Lin simply couldn’t guard Westbrook so it was easy for him to get in the lane and make things happen.

Serge Ibaka – 31 minutes, 16 points, 7 rebounds, 5 blocks – B+

Ibaka played a nice game shooting 7-for-11 from the field and five of his rebounds coming on the offensive end. His jumper was going down and he was active for most of the night. He was not the reason the Thunder lost this one.

Kevin Martin – 35 minutes, 15 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist – B

It felt like Martin played a little better than his numbers say. He went just 2-for-7 from three and 5-for-13 from the field. A slightly more efficient night from him would have gone a long way.

Thabo Sefolosha – 39 minutes, 28 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists – A

Sefolosha’s 28 points were a career-high and he also made 6-of-10 three-pointers. He doesn’t get an A+ because he was mainly checking Harden who also scored a career-high with 46. It wasn’t all on him though and for the most part Sefolosha was really good. He did miss his last few three-point attempts however when the Thunder really needed them but you can’t get on him too much for that.

Hasheem Thabeet – 11 minutes, 4 points, 2 rebounds, 1 block – C+

Thabeet started in the place of Perkins and did not play much. He finished inside a few times and of course blocked a shot.

Nick Collison – 17 minutes, 4 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist – C

The OKC bigs did not get a lot of rebounds and that has more to do with the fact that Houston shot so well for the game than them getting outworked. Collison should have played more in this game but he fouled out in just 17 minutes. It really may have cost the Thunder the game.

Reggie Jackson – 15 minutes, 6 points, 1 assist, 1 rebound – B

Jackson was solid again scoring a few times and making it look like this is something he is going to be able to do on a regular basis. He did go 0-for-4 from three but that’s not his game as much so we can’t kill him for that.

Perry Jones, III – 8 minutes, 2 points, 3 rebounds, 1 block – C+

Jones got a little bit of run in the first half but that was it. He was pretty active and not as passive as he sometimes is.

Feb 20, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets shooting guard James Harden (13) reacts after scoring a basket during the first quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

James Harden scored a career-high 46 points Wednesday night as the Houston Rockets beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 122-119 at the Toyota Center.

Harden went 14-for-19 from the field, 7-for-8 from three and 11-for-12 from the free throw line. He also added eight assists and six rebounds.

This was quite possibly the best game Harden has ever played.

The Thunder led by five entering the fourth quarter and extended that lead to 11 with 8:06 left in the game then Harden took over. He scored 14 points from that point on as the Rockets came back to win.

Kevin Durant had his second career triple-double in the loss with 16 points, 12 rebounds and a career-high 11 assists.

Russell Westbrook and Thabo Sefolosha each scored 28 points. Westbrook also had 10 rebounds and eight assists and Sefolosha went 6-of-10 from three-point land.

Harden had the most help from Jeremy Lin who scored 29 points. The Rockets made 15-of-33 threes on the night.

The Thunder were without their starting center Kendrick Perkins for the game who missed it with a sore right knee. Hasheem Thabeet started in his place and played just 11 minutes.

The Thunder had dominated the Rockets the first two times they played this year winning each time by at least 20 points.

The Thunder have no lost three straight games for the first time this season and fall to 39-14 on the year. They will play the Minnesota Timberwolves Friday night in OKC for their next game.

Feb 14, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Miami Heat forward LeBron James (6) handles the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) during the first half at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

LeBron James and the Miami Heat embarrassed the Oklahoma City Thunder on their home floor last night with a 110-100 victory to sweep the season series.

It was the sixth straight win for the Heat over the Thunder dating back to Game 2 of the NBA Finals when they went on to win four in a row over OKC.

LeBron was brilliant and may very well of sealed the deal on winning the MVP last night with 39 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists on 14-for-24 shooting from the field and 4-for-8 from three.

The Thunder could not buy a basket early in this one and fell behind by 20-plus points in the third quarter. When they started to come back in the fourth, it was already too late.

The same problems that haunted the Thunder last time they played Miami and in the Finals were present again last night. This team has some work to do if they want to have a chance against the Heat in the Finals this year.

Here are the Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 48 minutes, 40 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists – C+

Durant had one of his worst games of the season. He missed his first seven shots of the game and just could not get anything going for himself or his teammates. He would end up with 40 on 50 percent shooting thanks to a 22-point fourth quarter where LeBron was not in for a lot of the time. He was very frustrated for most of the game picking up another technical and eventually fouling out in the final minute.

Russell Westbrook – 44 minutes, 26 points, 10 assists, 5 rebounds – B

Westbrook ended up with some decent stats but like Durant, he also struggled a lot. He turned the ball over six times and started forcing too much on offense, taking shots without any passes on far too many possessions. Westbrook was better than he usually is against the Heat and that is a little bit of a good sign but you still don’t want this version of Westbrook for your best chance to beat the Heat.

Serge Ibaka – 35 minutes, 6 points, 6 rebounds, 0 blocks – D+

Durant and Westbrook tried to do everything when the Thunder got down early and it left guys like Ibaka to have very little impact at all. Only six points from Ibaka is not enough and then on defense he had no blocks and had a very tough time matching up with the likes of Shane Battier and other shooters who got countless open looks all game long.

Kevin Martin – 27 minutes, 9 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal – C-

Like Ibaka there were not a lot of opportunities for Martin. He could have asserted himself more but it wouldn’t have mattered. For him to have the best impact against the Heat, the entire Thunder team will need better ball movement resulting in more open threes that Martin could potentially knock down.

Kendrick Perkins – 24 minutes, 8 points, 5 rebounds, 1 block – C+

Perkins wasn’t as bad as he normally is against the Heat but he’s still a problem in this matchup. It just doesn’t work out and the Thunder are always at some kind of disadvantage with him out there.

Thabo Sefolosha – 24 minutes, 4 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists – C

Sefolosha needs to hit some threes in this matchup. He does the best he can guarding LeBron but really seems to have no impact on him.

Nick Collison – 15 minutes, 0 points, 2 rebounds – C

A key to this game coming in was to try and get as many minutes as possible from Collison. He only played 15 and didn’t score.

Reggie Jackson – 22 minutes, 7 points, 1 rebound – B+

Jackson played better than anyone last night. He wasn’t scared, played aggressively and was solid on defense. The Thunder need more role players to step up in this matchup and it looks like Jackson is up for it.

Feb 12, 2013; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz center Al Jefferson (25) is defended by Oklahoma City Thunder center Kendrick Perkins (5) during the first half at EnergySolutions Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder fell to the Utah Jazz on the road Tuesday night 109-94 bringing their record to 39-13 on the season.

The Thunder shot the ball well early on but also turned it over a lot and let the Jazz dominate the offensive glass. Utah had 16 offensive rebounds in the game and the Thunder committed 20 turnovers.

OKC shot 55.9 percent for the game but went 13-for-23 from the free throw line and the Jazz attempted 19 more field goals.

The Thunder cut the deficit to as little as five points in the third quarter then Utah went back up by 21 with just over five minutes to play in the game.

Scott Brooks yanked his starters at that point conceding victory to the Jazz.

Here are the Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 38 minutes, 33 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists – A

Durant had himself a nice game statistically but a few things went wrong for him. He was visibly frustrated for a lot of the game and upset a few times late when his teammates missed him for open shots. He took out his frustration with the first flagrant foul of his career on Alec Burks in the fourth. Durant was really efficient though making 11-of-16 shots, 3-of-4 threes and 8-of-9 free throws.

Russell Westbrook – 32 minutes, 22 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds – B

Westbrook got off to a great start in the game making his first three shots, two of which were three-pointers. The dominance didn’t last however and Westbrook would struggle taking care of the ball with seven turnovers for the game.

Serge Ibaka – 34 minutes, 10 points, 3 rebounds, 7 blocks – C+

Ibaka shot okay for the game and was great getting seven blocks but just three rebounds is unacceptable. Allowing Utah to get so many offensive boards is where the Thunder lost this game and that blame falls on Ibaka as much as anybody.

Kevin Martin – 21 minutes, 6 points, 1 rebound – D

Martin returned for the Thunder after missing their last game with the flu. He scored all of his points in the first half then didn’t play much in the second. He went 0-for-4 from three which ends a five-game streak for him in which he made at least three three-pointers. When Martin doesn’t make threes, he really isn’t much help and ends up being a reliability for the other downfalls in his game.

Kendrick Perkins – 28 minutes, 4 points, 1 rebound, 2 blocks – D

Even worse than Ibaka’s three boards is Perkins getting just one. Al Jefferson would light him up to the tune of 23 points as well. Perkins had a nice stretch of games lately where he was playing really well but he got dominated last night.

Thabo Sefolosha – 23 minutes, 0 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal – D

In a game where Sefolosha wasn’t needed to shut anyone down, he goes scoreless and doesn’t even have any assists.

Nick Collison – 18 minutes, 2 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist – C+

Collison made one of two shots and was second on the team with three rebounds. That’s how bad it was for the Thunder last night.

Reggie Jackson – 19 minutes, 12 points, 2 assists, 3 rebounds – A+

Jackson tied a career-high with 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting. He continues to get better this season offensively and has been very efficient scoring at the rim and his jumper is improving too. It’s too bad the Thunder waste this great effort from Jackson in a loss.

Hasheem Thabeet – 11 minutes, 0 points, 1 rebound, 1 block – C

Thabeet didn’t attempt any shots. He had a very nice block late in the fourth that he sent out of bounds.

DeAndre Liggins – 5 minutes, 0 points, 1 assist, 3 steals – A

Liggins always brings the energy. He doesn’t get into the game until garbage time with five minutes left and makes three steals and has an assist in that time.

Perry Jones, III – 5 minutes, 4 points, 1 rebound – B

Calling Jones athletic doesn’t do him justice. He had two ferocious dunks in the last five minutes of the game including catching an alley-oop from Jackson where his head was at the rim.

Daniel Orton – 5 minutes, 1 point, 2 rebounds, 1 block – B+

Orton came in and immediately started making things happen. He grabbed a few boards and got fouled and went to the line four times.

Feb. 10, 2013; Phoenix, AZ, USA: Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) drives to the basket against Phoenix Suns center Marcin Gortat (4) in the first quarter at the US Airways Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder won their fourth straight game Sunday night 97-69 against the Phoenix Suns on the road. The win brings the Thunder’s record to 39-12 on the season, just a half game behind the San Antonio Spurs for the best record in the NBA.

The Thunder tied a franchise-record allowing just 69 points in the game. The Suns shot 31 percent through three quarters and ended the game at just 33 percent from the field.

The Thunder were without sixth man Kevin Martin but the starters picked up the slack accounting for 71 of the team’s 74 points through three quarters. The starters got to sit out the entire fourth quarter for the fourth straight game.

The Thunder will be on the road again for their next game Tuesday night when they take on the Utah Jazz.

Here are the Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 29 minutes, 18 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists – B

It really felt like Durant didn’t do much at all last night and that’s mainly because he didn’t need to. He made 6-of-11 shots from the field and didn’t make any threes. The only suffering from these last four games for OKC is Durant’s scoring average since he hasn’t been needed to play many minutes.

Russell Westbrook – 28 minutes, 24 points, 6 assists, 1 rebound – A

Westbrook has been taking advantage of the Suns this year and their inability to match up with him. He shot over 50 percent from the field for the game including a dagger three to end the first half at the buzzer. Westbrook was a menace on the defensive end as well and ended up with four steals.

Serge Ibaka – 27 minutes, 12 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks – B

It was another solid game from Ibaka. He was making his jumper finishing 5-for-11 from the field for the game. Like Durant, the Thunder didn’t need much from Ibaka to get past Phoenix.

Kendrick Perkins – 26 minutes, 0 points, 4 rebounds, 3 blocks – C+

Perkins was the only starter not to score and this was coming off a 17-point outing in the Thunder’s last game which was also against the Suns. Perkins did other things as usual to make an impact. He had three blocks, three steals and two assists and held Marcin Gortat to just six points.

Thabo Sefolosha – 34 minutes, 20 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists – A+

After scoring 18 points against the Suns two nights prior, Sefolosha goes for 20 last night including making a career-high five three-pointers. It’s not often Sefolosha outscores Durant but he was very aggressive all game long and put together one of his best games of the year. He would also come up with three steals and the Thunder were plus-38 with him on the floor.

Nick Collison – 14 minutes, 2 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist – B

Collison didn’t play a lot of minutes last night. He just showed up to work and did his job.

Reggie Jackson – 20 minutes, 7 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists – A

This was one of Jackson’s best games of the year if not his best. He is starting to look more and more like a point guard with every game and that’s because he keeps getting more comfortable in the offense. The rebounds are always a plus but it’s really the assists and scoring that you want to see from Jackson and he brought it last night.

Hasheem Thabeet – 11 minutes, 2 points, 1 rebounds, 1 block – C

Nothing too special from Thabeet last night. He always finds away to get a block no matter how little he plays and had a nice dunk as well off a Jackson feed.

DeAndre Liggins – 22 minutes, 0 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist – C+

Even though Liggins was 0-for-3 from the field and didn’t score he still did a lot of things and fit in well with the team. He got more minutes with Martin missing the game too. Liggins will start to get even more minutes if he can start knocking down threes but he didn’t do that last night.

Perry Jones, III – 10 minutes, 2 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist – C

Jones has been getting a lot of burn in these last four games and isn’t exactly taking advantage of it. He went just 1-of-6 from the field last night and mostly took jumpers. He does seem to be getting more comfortable in the offense and thus more aggressive but he’s still a long way from having a shot at cracking the rotation.

Eric Maynor – 10 minutes, 5 points, 2 assists – B

Maynor is another guy who has finally been getting some minutes lately because of all these blowouts. He looked good last night with a couple of dimes and knocked down a three as well.

Daniel Orton – 8 minutes, 5 points, 1 rebound – B

Orton is a big body and has a decent touch around the rim. He could possibly become a nice backup center in the future for OKC.

Feb 8, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) dunks the ball against Phoenix Suns forward Markieff Morris (11) during the first half at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder won their third straight game last night beating the Phoenix Suns at Chesapeake Energy Arena 127-96 to improve to 38-12 on the year.

This was the third time this season that the Thunder topped the Suns. OKC committed just eight turnovers last night. Back on New Year’s Eve against Phoenix, they had a franchise-low five turnovers.

The Thunder used a 21-0 run in the third quarter to pull away in this one. They would outscore the Suns 72-46 in the second half.

The Thunder will play the Suns again for their next game Sunday night in Phoenix.

Here are the Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 31 minutes, 21 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists – B+

Durant started the game off scorching hot making all four of his three-point attempts in the first quarter. He would only take one more three the rest of the game and didn’t need to do much else for the Thunder to come out on top. He was playing more of the distributor role allowing his teammates to do more scoring than usual. Durant had a big highlight in the second quarter dunking all over Markieff Morris.

Russell Westbrook – 25 minutes, 17 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds – B+

Westbrook got in a little foul trouble early on and ended up not playing that many minutes. In the second half he started putting on a show with a couple of authoritative dunks. He was really efficient from the field shooting 8-for-14 overall.

Serge Ibaka – 28 minutes, 9 points, 5 rebounds, 3 blocks – B

Ibaka matched his career-high of four assists for the second straight game. Developing as a passer is the next step in his game and he has shown in these last two games that he can do it. He hit another three as well and blocked three shots.

Kevin Martin – 21 minutes, 16 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal – B+

Martin made it five straight games with three three-pointers made as he went 3-for-5 from distance last night. He has looked fantastic lately and if he keeps it up will make a push for Sixth Man of the Year.

Kendrick Perkins – 27 minutes, 17 points, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks – A+

This isn’t a misprint. Perkins scored the most he ever has in a Thunder uniform last night on 8-of-9 shooting. This was clearly his best game of the year. Perkins has really been shooting well lately and it makes the Thunder that much better when they can get any kind of offense out of him.

Thabo Sefolosha – 26 minutes, 18 points, 2 rebounds, 2 blocks – A+

Sefolosha also scored a season-high last night thanks to a career-high four three-pointers out of six attempts. When Perkins and Sefolosha combine for 35, the Thunder never lose. Sefolosha has been aggressive shooting threes lately and last night finally hit a bunch of them.

Nick Collison – 17 minutes, 4 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists – B+

Collison is becoming so crucial as a passer on the Thunder second unit. He ends up with five dimes last night as the Thunder’s ability to knock down outside shots was a huge reason for this.

Reggie Jackson – 17 minutes, 2 points, 3 assists, 1 rebound – C+

Jackson only took two shots and didn’t get many rebounds. His assists have been climbing lately which is a good sign for the Thunder.

Hasheem Thabeet – 17 minutes, 4 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist – C+

Thabeet’s two buckets were both nice dunks inside. He uncharacteristically didn’t block any shots but was still solid inside.

DeAndre Liggins – 12 minutes, 3 points – C+

Liggins knocked down a three which is good to see and he was all over the place on defense as usual.

Perry Jones, III – 7 minutes, 6 points, 1 rebound – B+

Jones kept getting wide open when he came in and it resulted in three very nice dunks by him. His athleticism is off the charts and maybe a few more games like this could set him free.

Eric Maynor – 7 minutes, 6 points, 2 assists, 1 steal – A

You can’t do much more than Maynor did in seven minutes. He made all three of his field goal attempts and had a few nice dimes.

Daniel Orton – 5 minutes, 4 points, 3 rebounds – B+

There was another Orton sighting last night. He scored twice and two of his rebounds came on the offensive end. He moves really well for his size and looks like he could develop into a solid backup big one day.

Feb 6, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Reggie Jackson (15) attempts a shot against Golden State Warriors guard Charles Jenkins (22) and Warriors guard Kent Bazemore (20) during the second half at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder easily got past the Golden State Warriors last night 119-98 to improve to 37-12 on the season.

The Thunder jumped on top of Golden State early as the Warriors looked fatigued having to play their second road game in two nights.

The Thunder led 67-49 at halftime and never looked back.

The Warriors trailed by 11 entering the fourth quarter but the reserves of OKC were able to extend their lead at the start of the final quarter.

OKC will be off today and play next Friday night at home vs. the Phoenix Suns.

Here are the Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 31 minutes, 25 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists – A

Durant was in distributor mode as he has always been when playing the Warriors this season. He had 19 total assists vs. the Warriors in the first two games this season and could have had much more than four last night if Kendrick Perkins could finish shots inside. Durant made it look easy scoring for himself too, shooting over 50 percent from the field again and making 2-of-3 threes. He also had two steals and two blocks in the game. The one blemish was five turnovers.

Russell Westbrook – 30 minutes, 22 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds – B

Westbrook was much better than he was the last time he played the Warriors. He went 3-for-16 in that game which the Thunder lost. Westbrook was getting to the rim with ease last night taking advantage of the tired legs of the Warriors. He also led the Thunder with four steals.

Serge Ibaka – 32 minutes, 15 points, 9 rebounds, 6 blocks – A

Ibaka led the way with six blocks and also had a career-high four assists. The ball movement as a whole was fantastic for the Thunder who had 29 assists in the game. Ibaka made 70 percent of his shots including another corner three as he put together one of his best all-around games of the season.

Kevin Martin – 26 minutes, 21 points, 4 assists, 2 steals – B+

Martin made exactly three 3-pointers for the fourth straight game last night. When he is doing that, his entire game becomes better. He got run outs and a few backdoor cuts for hoops and also distributed nicely with four dimes.

Kendrick Perkins – 23 minutes, 6 points, 11 rebounds, 2 blocks – B+

Perkins continues his strong play of late but somehow manages to post a minus-4 plus-minus last night. The rebounding and interior defense was great and he made 50 percent of his shot attempts as well. He blew a couple of Durant assists though.

Thabo Sefolosha – 30 minutes, 6 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists – B

Sefolosha was all over the place on defense but it again took awhile for him to find his shot. He has been really aggressive lately taking threes but he only made 2-of-6 last night. He had a steal and blocked two shots.

Nick Collison – 23 minutes, 8 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal – B

Collison made 4-of-5 shots and of course ended up with the best plus-minus on the team.

Reggie Jackson – 19 minutes, 12 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds – A+

This was probably Jackson’s best game of the year. He scored a season-high 12 and made all four of his field goal attempts inside the 3-point line. His assists are starting to pick up too as the game just looks like it’s really slowed down for him.

Hasheem Thabeet – 11 minutes, 2 points, 2 blocks – B

Thabeet’s two points came on a nice feed from Perry Jones for a dunk in traffic. He always manages to block a few shots no matter how short he is on the floor.

Perry Jones, III – 7 minutes, 0 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist – C

Jones made the great assist to Thabeet but missed all three of his shots. He is still learning the offense and where to go. When he gets more confident with his jumper, it should open up the rest of his game too. He’s passive out there a lot still but that should change with time.

DeAndre Liggins and Eric Maynor each played the last four minutes of the game which was ultimate garbage time.

Feb 6, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Harrison Barnes (40) attempts a shot against 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 won their second straight game Wednesday night as they beat the Golden State Warriors at home 119-98 to improve to 37-12 on the year.

Kevin Durant had 25 points, seven rebounds and four assists to lead the Thunder. Russell Westbrook added 22 points and Kevin Martin scored 21 off the bench.

The Thunder jumped out early cruising to a 68-49 lead by halftime. OKC would shoot 50.5 percent from the field for the game and dish out 29 assists as a team.

Even Serge Ibaka was sharing the basketball as he racked up a season-high four assists to go along with 15 points, nine rebounds and six blocks.

The Warriors were playing a road back-to-back tonight and were coming off an embarrassing loss last night against the Houston Rockets who scored 140 points and made 23 threes against them.

It was a struggle again tonight as Stephen Curry shot just 5-for-20 from the field and All-Star David Lee was held to just 12 points.

The Thunder had more energy all game long and would block 16 shots and make 12 steals as a team.

The Thunder are off tomorrow and then will be back in action Friday night at home vs. the Phoenix Suns.

Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder blew out the Dallas Mavericks last night 112-91 at home to improve to 36-12 on the year.

This was the third time this season that the Thunder beat the Mavericks. The first two times, OKC needed overtime to do so each time.

The Thunder shot 51 percent through three quarters and led by 25 then sat their starters for the entire fourth.

Dallas shot just 41.4 percent from the field for the game and made 3-of-16 threes.

The Thunder will be off tonight and then will host the Golden State Warriors Wednesday night for their next game.

Here are the Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 28 minutes, 19 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists – B+

Durant ends his streak of 23 straight games with scoring at least 20 points this season. He didn’t need to play a lot which is probably a good thing since he entered the game with a rib contusion. He started and looked himself for the most part but did appear a little flat at times elevating. It didn’t affect his production though.

Russell Westbrook – 29 minutes, 24 points, 7 assists, 3 rebounds – A

Westbrook was under control and calculating as he attacked the Dallas defense with relative ease. The pull-up jumper was there and he was splitting the pick-and-roll and penetrating to the rack over and over again. This was one of the better Westbrook games this season and OKC is always better when he plays like this, without forcing anything.

Serge Ibaka – 27 minutes, 12 points, 5 rebounds, 1 block – B

Ibaka shot well and even hit a three in the game. He seems to be trying to drive to the rim more lately which is the next step in expanding his game. It’s been working pretty well and resulting in more free throw attempts too.

Kevin Martin – 22 minutes, 17 points, 1 assist, 2 steals – A

Martin was very aggressive looking for his shot. He was knocking down threes as he made 3-of-5 and that opened up the rest of his game. He caught a nice alley-oop in transition from Westbrook and made a nice feed in the second half to Nick Collison in a half court set.

Kendrick Perkins – 22 minutes, 7 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists – A-

You can’t deny anymore that Perkins has been playing very well of late. He shot well again last night making 2-of-3 field goals. He didn’t commit any turnovers and was a force on the defensive end.

Thabo Sefolosha – 25 minutes, 7 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals – B

Sefolosha was fantastic defensively as always. On offense, he was really looking for his shot but went just 1-for-6 from downtown. It didn’t matter as he still made other things happen.

Nick Collison – 15 minutes, 4 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists – B+

Collison was basically a monster last night. He never makes mistakes and it’s hard to not think of what he does as absolutely perfect.

Reggie Jackson – 21 minutes, 8 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds – A+

This was Jackson’s best game of the year by far. He looked very comfortable and decisive running the offense. He made 2-of-5 threes and the six dimes is a season-high. Jackson helped spearhead a great effort overall by the Thunder bench.

Hasheem Thabeet – 11 minutes, 6 points, 4 rebounds, 3 blocks – A+

This was also one of Thabeet’s best performances of the year. When he checked in, he immediately started grabbing rebounds. Then he started scoring including a nice little midrange jumper that looked very comfortable for him. The three blocks were the icing on the cake.

DeAndre Liggins – 12 minutes, 5 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist – A

One of the underrated things that Liggins has been doing a great job of lately has been passing. He’s always moving the ball around quickly and had a great dime to Thabeet inside for a dunk last night.

Perry Jones, III – 10 minutes, 0 points, 1 rebound – D

Jones missed all four of his shots including getting blocked on a dunk attempt. He was about the only Thunder player who didn’t have it going.

Eric Maynor – 9 minutes, 3 points, 1 rebound – C

Maynor got into the game for the first time in awhile. He knocked down a deep three but that was about it.

Daniel Orton – 8 minutes, 0 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist – B

We haven’t seen Orton in awhile either. He had two offensive boards and looked pretty solid out there running the floor and setting screens. He looks like he could definitely have a future with this team sometime.

David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Kyrie Irving and the Cleveland Cavaliers stunned the Oklahoma City Thunder late Saturday night with a 115-110 victory.

Irving led the way with 35 points and 13 of those coming in the final three minutes of the game.

The Thunder shot nearly 50 percent for the game but made just 7-of-21 threes while the Cavs made half of their threes.

Cleveland also got a big lift from Marreese Speights off the bench who had 21 points and 10 rebounds.

The Thunder are off tonight and will play next Monday night at home vs. the Dallas Mavericks.

Here are the Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 37 minutes, 32 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists – B

Durant struggled from the field quite a bit last night. He wasn’t knocking down jumpers quite as often as he normally does and missed four of his 17 free throw attempts. He still put up big numbers but then late you expected him to take over and match Irving shot for shot and that didn’t happen.

Russell Westbrook – 35 minutes, 28 points, 5 assists, 2 rebounds – B+

Westbrook was great offensively and defensively until the final three minutes of the game. He had Irving in check for most of the night but then couldn’t contain him in the pick-and-roll in the final minutes. Irving was simply feeling it so you can’t put all of the blame on Westbrook. Westbrook shot 12-for-22 from the field for the game which is great from him.

Serge Ibaka – 30 minutes, 18 points, 12 rebounds, 4 blocks – A

Ibaka had his best game in awhile last night. He made six of his first seven shots then just one of his last five. The key was how aggressively Ibaka attacked the offensive glass early on. It got him a few easy baskets and trips to the free throw line. He finished with six offensive boards in the game.

Kevin Martin – 32 minutes, 15 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists – B

Martin never stopped shooting and was aggressive for most of the game. He went 3-for-4 from two-point range in the game and 3-for-9 from three. He scored on a couple of nice backdoor cuts where Nick Collison found him. When he’s scoring in ways other than just spot-up threes, it’s a very good thing for OKC.

Kendrick Perkins – 30 minutes, 6 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 blocks – A

Perkins has been playing great lately. Last night was a very good outing for him as he stuffed the stat sheet. The amazing thing is he is starting to make these little shots around the rim that he used to almost always miss.

Thabo Sefolosha – 24 minutes, 0 points, 3 rebounds, 3 steals – C

Sefolosha only took two shots and one three in the game and did not score. The Thunder might have wanted to use him more on Irving late but since he wasn’t scoring at all, he wasn’t in the game then.

Nick Collison – 23 minutes, 2 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists – B+

A key stat for the Thunder is always assists for Collison. He gets a lot of opportunities to make plays with the second unit and getting four dimes last night was pretty nice. He also had three offensive rebounds and drew a charge.

Reggie Jackson – 11 minutes, 5 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal – B

Jackson had a couple of nice buckets including a three from the wing but the Thunder were outscored by 15 while he was out there. He didn’t pick up any assists which is something he still needs to work on.

Hasheem Thabeet – 11 minutes, 4 points, 5 rebounds, 1 block – B+

Thabeet made 2-of-3 shots and got an offensive rebound and a block. Once again, you can’t ask for much more from him in 11 minutes.

Perry Jones, III – 5 minutes, 0 points – C

Jones played five minutes in the first half and did not record a stat. The interesting part is that Scott Brooks played him at the three with Collison and Thabeet for a few minutes. Not sure if we will be seeing a lot more of this.

DeAndre Liggins – 2 minutes, 0 points, 1 steal – C+

Liggins barely played but of course got a steal while he was out there.

David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Kyrie Irving scored 13 points in the final three minutes to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers past the Oklahoma City Thunder 115-110 Saturday night.

Irving scored 35 points in the game with 23 coming in the second half.

The Cavaliers got hot shooting from the outside to start the fourth quarter. Newly acquired forward Marreese Speights helped lead the charge with 21 points and 10 rebounds off the bench including 10 points in the fourth.

The Thunder tied the game at 108 when Kevin Durant made a 3-pointer with 1:25 left.

Irving then came back down and made a driving layup then Durant missed an 18-foot jumper on the Thunder’s next possession.

Durant finished with 32 points and 11 rebounds to lead OKC but went just 8-for-21 from the field and 13-for-17 from the free throw line.

Russell Westbrook had the better game scoring 28 points on 12-for-22 shooting to go with five dimes as well.

Early in the game it was Serge Ibaka who had the hot hand for OKC. He would finish with 18 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks. He made six of his first seven shots then just one of his final five.

The Thunder could have easily won this game and normally win ones like this. Irving went to another level though and the Thunder weren’t ready to match it.

The Thunder fall to 35-12 on the year. They will play their next game Monday at home against the Dallas Mavericks.

Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Memphis Grizzlies last night 106-89 at Chesapeake Arena to improve to 35-11 on the year.

The Thunder got off to a very hot start hitting their first nine shots from the field. They shot 61 percent in the first half and led 58-34 at halftime while Memphis shot just 26 percent.

It was the Grizzlies’ first game since the Rudy Gay trade and they didn’t have any of the three players they acquired in the trade so they were shorthanded.

Zach Randolph missed his first 10 shots from the field which didn’t help matters. He did end up with nine points and 19 boards in the game.

The Thunder will be off tonight and then back in action Saturday night on the road against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Here are the Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 38 minutes, 27 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists – A

Durant was quiet early on and then started to get it going late. He scored five points in a row for the Thunder in the fourth quarter to end any hopes of a Memphis comeback. Durant did a very nice job passing the ball getting six dimes and turning the ball over just twice. It was another nice all-around game from Durant which we are seeing more and more of this season.

Russell Westbrook – 31 minutes, 21 points, 6 assists, 9 rebounds – A

Westbrook led the way for the Thunder getting off to a hot shooting start. He made his first four field goals and quite a few using the glass. He had an argument with Thabo Sefolosha midway through the third quarter and Scott Brooks benched Westbrook after that. He came back strong in the fourth though. The Thunder were plus-20 with Westbrook on the floor.

Serge Ibaka – 26 minutes, 4 points, 1 rebound, 6 blocks – C+

Not much was heard from Ibaka in this game except for his six blocks, many of which were emphatic. Just one rebound and only four points is not a great effort from Ibaka, especially when Randolph gets 19 boards on the other team. With Westbrook knocking down his shot and looking to score, shots were scarce to come by for Ibaka.

Kevin Martin – 29 minutes, 16 points, 2 assists, 1 rebound – B+

Martin played his role much better than the first time OKC played Memphis this season. He had just seven points in that game and 16 last night, including 3-of-4 from deep. Martin’s game almost entirely hinges on whether or not he’s making threes. The open looks will always be there though and Durant did a nice job of finding Martin a few times.

Kendrick Perkins – 26 minutes, 7 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks – B+

Perkins is starting to score a little more lately. Not sure how long this will last but the Thunder will take it in the meantime. He had a couple of nice blocks as well. Like Ibaka, the only drawback was allowing Memphis 21 offensive rebounds.

Thabo Sefolosha – 23 minutes, 7 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists – B

There was no Gay for Sefolosha to check so his defensive prowess wasn’t really called upon. He made 3-of-5 shots and 1-of-2 threes in the game which is perfect from him.

Nick Collison – 26 minutes, 12 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist – B+

Collison got a few more minutes than usual because he was playing really well and scoring. He made 4-of-5 shots and all four of his free throw attempts. He also drew two offensive fouls in the first half. Yeah, it’s hard to find anything wrong with Collison ever.

Reggie Jackson – 15 minutes, 4 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist – B

Jackson has to be the best rebounding backup point guard in the NBA. Six more boards from him last night to go with four points which was another solid effort from him.

Hasheem Thabeet – 11 minutes, 4 points, 2 rebounds, 2 blocks – B+

You can’t ask for much more from Thabeet in 11 minutes. He was obviously up for the game going against the team that drafted him.

DeAndre Liggins – 8 minutes, 2 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist – B

Typical Liggins energy and doing a little bit of everything out there.

Perry Jones, III – 4 minutes, 2 points, 2 assists – B

Jones had a really nasty dunk on the fast break in the final minutes. Can’t wait until he’s getting more run.

Eric Maynor – 4 minutes, 0 points, 2 assists – B

Of course Maynor somehow ends up with more assists than Jackson in a fourth of the playing time.

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder completed their 6-game road trip yesterday afternoon by losing to the Los Angeles Lakers 105-96.

The Thunder went 3-3 on this road trip and are now 34-11 on the year which puts them a half game behind the San Antonio Spurs for the best record in the NBA.

Kobe Bryant led the way for the Lakers with a near triple-double scoring 21 points to go along with 14 assists and nine rebounds.

Pau Gasol had 16 points, four rebounds and four assists off the bench. Dwight Howard had just eight points and 10 boards.

The Thunder shot just 4-for-16 from behind the arc and allowed the Lakers to hit 55.4 percent of their shots for the game.

The Thunder will get three days off now before playing the Memphis Grizzlies at home on Thursday night.

Here are the Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 43 minutes, 35 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists – B+

The Thunder could not do without Durant yesterday. In the five minutes he sat, OKC was outscored by nine points and played LA even during his 43 minutes. KD went just 10-for-26 from the field and was visibly frustrated throughout the second half. Just two rebounds for Durant is never a good sign for the Thunder either.

Russell Westbrook – 39 minutes, 17 points, 13 assists, 9 rebounds – B

Look no further than Westbrook’s off shooting night as to why the Thunder lost the game. He went just 6-for-22 from the field as his jumper looked really flat all game long. Westbrook made up for it by dishing out 13 dimes and collecting nine boards but it wasn’t enough at the end of the day. The Thunder offense just becomes so much worse when he is missing that much.

Serge Ibaka – 35 minutes, 10 points, 6 rebounds, 4 blocks – B-

With Durant and Westbrook not shooting particularly well, the Thunder could have used a bigger game from Ibaka. He made half of his 10 shots and didn’t get to the line. The Thunder need their bigs to match LA’s in this matchup.

Kevin Martin – 19 minutes, 9 points, 3 rebounds – C+

Martin got just 19 minutes because Scott Brooks was going with bigger lineups featuring Thabo Sefolosha to guard Kobe. Therefore Martin didn’t have much of an impact in the game. The Thunder could have used more from him and probably should have tried Durant at the four more often so Martin could get out there.

Kendrick Perkins – 28 minutes, 10 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists – A+

Give Perkins a lot of credit for playing a fantastic game yesterday. He’s actually been knocking down jumpers recently and finishing better at the rim. The defense is always there too.

Thabo Sefolosha – 34 minutes, 7 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals – B

Sefolosha played good defense on Kobe, who just decided to play the distributor role yesterday instead of trying to score. Sefolosha made just 1-of-3 from downtown and didn’t do much else on offense.

Nick Collison – 21 minutes, 4 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist – B

Collison was very solid while he was out there getting boards and playing defense. He knocked down a jumper from the baseline which was nice. Whenever he is knocking down jumpers, it’s gravy for the Thunder second unit.

Reggie Jackson – 9 minutes, 2 points, 2 assists, 1 rebound – B

Jackson has been playing his role pretty perfectly of late. His one bucket yesterday was a nice transition finish over a defender. He’s starting to pick up more assists too and had a very nice drive and kick to Ibaka for a jumper.

Hasheem Thabeet – 6 minutes, 2 points, 1 rebound – B

Thabeet had a very nice bucket in the game but was not needed that much since Howard didn’t play a whole lot.

DeAndre Liggins – 5 minutes, 0 points, 1 steal, 1 block – B

No shot attempts from Liggins but of course the little things show up in his box score.

Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder cruised to a 105-95 victory on the road against the Sacramento Kings Friday night.

The Thunder shot 48.7 percent from the field and dished out 27 assists as a team in the game.

The Thunder trailed 30-27 after one quarter and then would outscore the Kings 59-37 in the second and third quarters to pull away.

This was the fifth road game in a row for the Thunder. They have won four of those five games and will complete their road trip vs. the Los Angeles Lakers Sunday afternoon for their next game.

Here are the Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 34 minutes, 24 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists – A

Durant had a cool 24 on 7-of-12 shooting. His 11 defensive rebounds was a representation of the Thunder defense getting stops. Durant has been having to do a lot on his own in isolation situations recently but last night it was a more all-around effort from the Thunder.

Russell Westbrook – 32 minutes, 18 points, 14 assists, 4 rebounds – A

Westbrook’s 14 dimes are a season-high and just two off his career high. The Kings have the worst defense in the NBA and Westbrook certainly took advantage often finding players on backdoor cuts, catching the Kings sleeping. Westbrook really dominated Isaiah Thomas at the other end who torched the Thunder in the first meeting this year. Thomas got in foul trouble trying to handle Westbrook last night and had just seven points.

Serge Ibaka – 26 minutes, 14 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks – B+

The best thing about Ibaka’s game last night was getting to the line eight times. When he is more than just a jump shooter on offense and being aggressive going to the rim, it is a great sign for the Thunder.

Kevin Martin – 34 minutes, 24 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals – A

Martin was gunning from the start. He hit his first three 3-pointers then missed his next six and finished 4-of-10 from distance. He scored in other ways too as he was very active moving off the ball, taking advantage of the weak Kings defense.

Kendrick Perkins – 24 minutes, 2 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists – B

Perkins did his job slowing down DeMarcus Cousins who scored 14 points on 6-of-16 shooting for the game. Perkins only made one basket and just had  a few rebounds as the Thunder didn’t need much from him.

Thabo Sefolosha – 19 minutes, 10 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals – B

When Sefolosha scores 10 points without hitting a three, you know the Thunder offense is getting a lot of easy buckets. He only played 19 minutes and scored in double-figures last night.

Nick Collison – 19 minutes, 6 points, 1 assist – B

Amazingly, Collison didn’t get a rebound but that’s probably just because Durant was getting so many last night. Collison of course finishes with the best plus-minus of any Thunder player still.

Reggie Jackson – 10 minutes, 4 points, 3 rebounds – B

Jackson made both of his shots but didn’t record an assist. He is becoming very good at attacking the rim and finishing in semi-transition situations.

Hasheem Thabeet – 16 minutes, 1 point, 2 rebounds, 2 blocks – B+

Thabeet was a presence last night and that’s all the Thunder want from him. He had one great defensive series in particular when he nearly had a steal then recovered back to the rim and blocked a shot. He did get posterized by Travis Outlaw unfortunately.

DeAndre Liggins – 14 minutes, 2 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist – A

It’s impossible to watch Liggins and not love the way he plays the game. He’s all over the place on offense and defense. His seven rebounds was a career-high.

Perry Jones, III and Eric Maynor played the final six minutes of garbage time.

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The Oklahoma City Thunder ran out of steam Wednesday night on the second night of a road back-to-back in Golden State.

After leading for most of the game, the Thunder were outscored 28-20 in the fourth quarter and lost the game 104-99 to fall to 33-10 on the season.

The Warriors were led by Stephen Curry who finished with 31 points and seven assists. David Lee had 22 points and 12 rebounds and Carl Landry had 20 points off the bench.

The Thunder tried to close out the game with Kevin Durant at the four which normally improves their offense but the Warriors double teamed him on every possession down the stretch and the Thunder could not capitalize.

The Thunder are off tonight and will play next on the road vs. the Sacramento Kings Friday night.

Here are the Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 39 minutes, 33 points, 5 rebounds, 9 assists – A

Durant was super efficient going 10-for-17 from the field and 11-of-12 at the line. He also had nine assists but none of those came in the final six minutes of the game. He ended up with six turnovers including three in the fourth as the Thunder offense could not get baskets after Durant was doubled. It was mostly isolation for Durant which made it tougher on him but with Russell Westbrook shooting so poorly, the Thunder didn’t really have another option.

Russell Westbrook – 36 minutes, 10 points, 4 assists, 5 rebounds – D+

Westbrook had one of his worst games of the season last night. Not only was he 3-for-16 from the field but he allowed Curry to go off for 31 points. Westbrook simply wasn’t making his pull-up jumper and started forcing things which resulted in six turnovers for him as well.

Serge Ibaka – 27 minutes, 12 points, 5 rebounds, 3 blocks – B

Ibaka played well in the first half but then couldn’t find many minutes down the stretch. Scott Brooks elected to go with Nick Collison and Kendrick Perkins instead with Durant at the four. With the Thunder offense sputtering, not having Ibaka really hurt them.

Kevin Martin – 32 minutes, 16 points, 1 rebound, 4 steals – A

Martin shot the ball very well making 6-of-9 shots and 2-of-3 threes. When he is hitting his shots, he looks really good. But when he is missing, it looks pretty bad. You can’t blame Martin for not getting any looks down the stretch as the Thunder just couldn’t find him. The Warriors were playing some pretty good defense too.

Kendrick Perkins – 33 minutes, 12 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists – A

This may have been Perkins’ most productive game of the year so far. He made 6-of-8 field goals including the shots that he usually bricks. It was a huge waste for the Thunder to lose despite Perkins giving them this.

Thabo Sefolosha – 32 minutes, 5 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists – C+

The Warriors were spelling Sefolosha in the fourth quarter, leaving him wide open as they doubled Durant. Sefolosha couldn’t make them pay going just 1-for-7 from the field. He still always made the right basketball play, the shots just weren’t falling.

Nick Collison – 19 minutes, 4 points, 3 rebounds – B

Another solid game from Collison. He made just 2-of-6 shots though which is unlike him. The Thunder bigs produced decently last night but overall were drastically outplayed by Golden State’s.

Reggie Jackson – 12 minutes, 5 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists – A

Jackson was very good in his short time on the floor last night. He was aggressive with the drive and got some assists as well. It’s starting to get exciting whenever he comes in with him producing so well lately. The rebounds are awesome from him too.

DeAndre Liggins – 7 minutes, 2 points, 2 rebounds – B+

Liggins was very energetic while he was out there. He grabbed an offensive rebound and scored his only basket on that same play after some great hustle.

Perry Jones, III played three minutes in the first half and didn’t have much of an impact.

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The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Los Angeles Clippers on the road last night 109-97 to improve to 33-9 on the year.

The Clippers were without Chris Paul in the game who missed it with a sore right knee. Eric Bledsoe started in his place and played 35 minutes, scoring 12 points on 5-of-16 shooting.

The Clippers didn’t play a terrible game but fell behind early and couldn’t come back as the Thunder got hot from deep, making 15-of-27 threes in the game.

The Thunder shot 52.6 percent from the field for the game and got 25 points from their bench.

The Thunder will be playing a back-to-back tonight at Golden State.

Here are the Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 41 minutes, 32 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists – A

Durant started out slow then became unstoppable late. He made 5-of-6 threes, most of which were with a defender right on him which was very demoralizing for the Clippers. He capped off the night with a drive and dirty dunk in traffic which you can see here. It was another great all-around effort from Durant too as he picked up the seven dimes and seven boards. He really does look like the MVP right now.

Russell Westbrook – 38 minutes, 26 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds – B+

It felt like Westbrook shot worse than he did (9-for-19) and that’s a good thing. Westbrook didn’t have the challenge of matching up with Chris Paul and took advantage of Eric Bledsoe. When Westbrook shoots this well and does a decent job of getting others involved, it’s really hard to beat the Thunder.

Serge Ibaka – 39 minutes, 17 points, 9 rebounds, 1 block – B+

Ibaka had a nice all-around game offensively. It wasn’t just jumpers for him but he did make quite a few including a three and another near three where his toe was on the line. He faced up a few times and took his man off the dribble for scores. He didn’t exactly shut down Blake Griffin who had 31 points in the game but it didn’t cost the Thunder.

Kevin Martin – 32 minutes, 13 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists – B+

Martin had it going in the first half, hitting all three of his threes then and helping the Thunder pull away early. Two of the threes were with a hand in his face. Martin’s shot has been off lately so it was good to see him swish a few threes last night. The Thunder definitely needed him at this time with Westbrook and Durant not exactly lighting it up in the first half.

Kendrick Perkins – 7 minutes, 0 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist – D

Perkins committed four fouls in just seven minutes. It was probably a blessing because it meant more minutes for Nick Collison.

Thabo Sefolosha – 23 minutes, 9 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist – B

Sefolosha got caught up in the Thunder’s hot shooting knocking down three threes himself. He did other good things on offense driving after pump fakes on the 3-point line. Sefolosha did not have to guard Chris Paul on the other end so his defensive impact wasn’t as important.

Nick Collison – 41 minutes, 8 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks – A+

Durant and Collison each played 41 minutes but Collison had a plus-minus of +20 and Durant just +8. Yeah, Collison is pretty good. He only averages 19 minutes per game but Perkins getting in foul trouble in both halves made this game possible for him. He does everything. He got four offensive boards and blocked two shots. He rescues offensive possessions with great off-ball movement. The Thunder looked really, really good with he and Ibaka out there together.

Reggie Jackson – 11 minutes, 4 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist – B

Jackson is really looking better this season. He’s more comfortable and decisive on the floor. His defense and rebounding is a big asset to have in your backup point guard too.

Hasheem Thabeet and DeAndre Liggins each played just five minutes and didn’t score or do much else.

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The Oklahoma City Thunder had their 6-game winning streak snapped last night on the road vs. the Denver Nuggets.

OKC played its second overtime game in a row and lost in the extra frame for the first time this season 121-118.

The Thunder had two illegal screen offensive fouls called against them in the final six seconds of overtime. They would still have a chance to tie the game in the final second but a three by Kevin Durant did not go down with three seconds left.

The Thunder shot 46.1 percent from the field for the game but allowed 48.4 percent shooting by the Nuggets as well as 20 offensive rebounds.

The Thunder also ended up with more turnovers than assists as a team with 23 vs. 22.

Here are the Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 49 minutes, 37 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists – A

Durant had another big scoring night thanks to 21 free throw attempts again. This time he missed one of them making him 41-for-42 from the line over the last two games. Durant was just 7-for-20 from the field though and 3-for-10 from downtown. Durant did a better job getting his teammates going with eight assists but did end up with five turnovers.

Russell Westbrook – 48 minutes, 36 points, 9 assists, 8 rebounds – A

Westbrook was a huge force in this one just like Durant. He ended up shooting 10-for-26 from the field but it felt a little better than that. Westbrook hit a huge three from 27 feet away with 22 seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 109 and send it into overtime. Westbrook would also flirt with a triple-double but did commit seven turnovers as well.

Serge Ibaka – 42 minutes, 16 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks – B

Ibaka playing 42 minutes and getting only six boards while Denver had 20 offensive rebounds is not a good thing. Ibaka was going for too many blocks and only got two while he should have been more focused on boxing out. Ibaka was efficient shooting the ball at 7-for-11 which is a lot better than he’s been in awhile so a good sign for the Thunder in terms of that.

Kevin Martin – 37 minutes, 18 points, 2 rebounds, 3 steals – B+

Martin found his shot last night and made 6-of-10 field goals and 4-of-6 threes. His biggest three came with 1:25 left in the fourth quarter bringing the Thunder to within a point of Denver. Martin got the clutch minutes down the stretch and a couple of times Denver took advantage of him at the defensive end while OKC switched every pick. Other than that, Martin did his job on the offensive end to a tee.

Kendrick Perkins – 31 minutes, 7 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks – C

The seven points on 3-of-4 shooting was a surprise from Perkins but like Ibaka, only getting five boards is simply unacceptable. Offensive rebounds is the biggest reason Denver won this game and that responsibility lies with Perkins and Ibaka mostly.

Thabo Sefolosha – 30 minutes, 4 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals – B

Sefolosha didn’t attempt any threes in the game and Scott Brooks went with Martin over him down the stretch since Martin was shooting so well. Three offensive rebounds and three steals are nice box sheet fillers from Sefolosha.

Nick Collison – 20 minutes, 0 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist – C+

Collison only took one shot in the game and missed it. He had two offensive rebounds but just two defensive rebounds in 20 minutes. The Nuggets were simply more aggressive on the glass last night and it cost the Thunder even with Collison on the floor.

Reggie Jackson – 6 minutes, 0 points, 1 steal – C

Jackson got hardly any run last night and didn’t have a chance to make any kind of an impact. He missed his only shot attempt, a 3-pointer.

Hasheem Thabeet played two minutes and DeAndre Liggins one minute.

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The Oklahoma City Thunder played the Dallas Mavericks for the second time this season last night and for the second time the two teams played into overtime.

The Thunder came out on top again 117-114 behind a career-high 52 points by Kevin Durant.

OKC shot just 41.1 percent from the field for the game as they went cold in the fourth quarter. Dallas came back from down nine in the final period to force overtime after O.J. Mayo hit a 3-pointer with two seconds left in regulation.

Dallas was led by Vince Carter who scored 29 points off the bench for them. Dirk Nowitzki started and scored 18 points on 5-of-19 shooting in 41 minutes.

This game was the first of six straight that will be on the road for the Thunder coming up now.

Here are the Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 50 minutes, 52 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist – A+

Durant surpassed his previous career-high of 51 with 52 last night. He did so ironically not so efficiently as he has been all season. He went 13-for-31 from the field but was 5-for-9 from deep and made all 21 of his free throw attempts. Durant hit the game-winner as well which was very reminiscent of his game-winner in Game 1 of the first round vs. Dallas last season. He isolated with Shawn Marion on him, took him off the dribble going to his left and hit a tough one-handed fall away with 16 seconds left to put OKC ahead 116-114. Durant’s one assist was not because he was playing selfish but rather his teammates weren’t making shots.

Russell Westbrook – 45 minutes, 31 points, 6 assists, 6 rebounds – A

Westbrook scored 30 points or more for the third straight game. Four of his rebounds came on the offensive glass with two of them resulting in quick putbacks for easy baskets. Westbrook was just under 50 percent shooting for the game which is a good number for him. He and Durant both struggled to hit shots in the fourth quarter but Westbrook did hit a big one in overtime. Darren Collison only had 15 points in the point guard matchup vs. Westbrook last night so he did a better job of containing him than in the first meeting.

Serge Ibaka – 45 minutes, 11 points, 14 rebounds, 2 blocks – B

Ibaka was not great in this one making just 5-of-13 field goals. Had he been feeling it a little more, this game would not have gone into overtime and OKC would have won in regulation. Ibaka did grab seven offensive rebounds and swat a few shots however.

Kevin Martin – 31 minutes, 11 points, 1 rebound – C

Martin struggled from the field again shooting just 3-for-10 overall and 1-of-6 from distance. He was not on the floor at the end of the fourth or overtime as Scott Brooks went with Thabo Sefolosha instead.

Kendrick Perkins – 30 minutes, 2 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist – B

The Thunder missed Perkins when he was out of the game and his return late in the fourth quarter was a positive for OKC. He played great defense on Dirk and rebounded well. He committed five fouls and made just 1-of-3 shots but was still better than usual overall.

Thabo Sefolosha – 25 minutes, 0 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists – C

Sefolosha was held scoreless for just second time this season. The Thunder need Sefolosha to at least give them a few points to be at their best. He was 0-for-4 from the field and 0-for-2 from deep. Sefolosha did have the best plus-minus on the team at plus-11 for the game.

Nick Collison – 22 minutes, 8 points, 5 rebounds – B+

Collison is known for guarding Dirk very well and that was the case again last night. He did pick up five fouls and was replaced by Perkins in the fourth quarter but still did his job as always. He didn’t have any assists which is a sign that the second unit wasn’t producing too much scoring.

Reggie Jackson – 8 minutes, 2 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist – B

Jackson played solidly in his limited action. His one field goal was a nice drive under control in the fourth quarter. His defense was pretty solid too.

DeAndre Liggins – 9 minutes, 0 points, 2 rebounds, 2 steals – B+

Liggins didn’t take any shots but his presence was still felt in this game. The Thunder outscored Dallas by nine in Liggins’ nine minutes of action and he had a big part in that. The energy was there as always and he made plays with a couple of steals and also an assist. Liggins will keep getting these minutes.

Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder snapped the Denver Nuggets’ 6-game winning streak last night beating them 117-97 at Chesapeake Arena.

The Thunder jumped on top of the Nuggets early and never looked back. OKC scored the first seven points of the game and led 34-18 after one and 67-47 at halftime.

While the offense looked as good as ever, so did the defense of the Thunder. They were intense on every possession and made the game a nightmare for Denver.

The Thunder will bring their 5-game winning streak on the road for the next six games.

Here are the Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 29 minutes, 20 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists – A

Durant was very efficient making 7-of-12 shots and he did a great job of getting his teammates involved as well. He tied a season-high with five steals. There were plenty of open looks for KD as the ball movement was fantastic and the Denver defense was forced to focus on stopping Russell Westbrook quite a bit.

Russell Westbrook – 28 minutes, 32 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds – A+

This may have been Westbrook’s best game of the season so far as he was unstoppable with his pull-up jumper all night. He scored 16 of his points in the first quarter as he played very under control. Denver was simply unable to match the energy that Westbrook had and he took advantage. The Thunder are just impossible to beat when Westbrook is making the kind of shots he was last night.

Serge Ibaka – 27 minutes, 5 points, 6 rebounds, 5 blocks – B

Ibaka returned from injury to start last night after missing the last two Thunder games with a chest contusion. He only took five shots in the game as Westbrook was busy looking for his. Ibaka didn’t seem to have missed a beat on the defensive end blocking five shots.

Kevin Martin – 19 minutes, 20 points, 1 rebound – A+

You can’t ask for much more from Martin than scoring a point per minute. He made 2-of-3 threes in the game which is always a good sign and scored at the rim a number of times as well. He had two nice drives to the rim in the half court and leaked out for fast break layups three times.

Kendrick Perkins – 24 minutes, 2 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks – B

Perkins made just 1-of-6 shots last night but the one make was really impressive. Perkins took Kosta Koufos off the dribble from the 3-point line, spun to the rim then went to the fadeaway from the baseline. It’s a move you’d never expect Perkins to be able to repeat. He had  another great defensive game as well.

Thabo Sefolosha – 22 minutes, 9 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist – B+

Thunder announcer Brian Davis said it best calling Sefolosha 3-point attempts “target practice.” That was definitely the case last night as the open looks were plentiful for Sefolosha all game long. He made 3-of-5 threes in the game and was great on the defensive end as well.

Nick Collison – 9 minutes, 4 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists – B

Collison is interested in playing during blowouts. Scott Brooks took this game as an opportunity to get run for some of the other players. Collison was pretty much perfect while he was out there though.

Reggie Jackson – 20 minutes, 8 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds – A

Jackson had his best game of the year last night as well. He showed how he can do a little bit of everything racking up the rebounds as well as dimes. Jackson found Martin leaking out for fast break layups three times after grabbing rebounds. He looked very confident running the show too.

DeAndre Liggins – 20 minutes, 6 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist – A

Liggins once again brought the energy and intensity on defense and it translated to good things on offense too. He made both of his 3-point attempts and is always active running around making the defense work. There’s a reason Liggins has cracked the Thunder rotation now.

Hasheem Thabeet – 19 minutes, 3 points, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks – B

Thabeet looked good again. He had a nice offensive rebound and finish inside and blocked a few shots.

Perry Jones, III – 14 minutes, 6 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists – A

Jones looked the best he has all season last night. Perhaps it was because the game was a blowout and Jones could relax a little. He made his first field goal of the game which was a short jumper from the baseline. He handled the ball up the floor with guard-like ease, made some nice passes from the post and finished one layup like a freak athlete. Jones has the tools. He just needs to get more confident and comfortable.

Jeremy Lamb – 10 minutes, 2 points, 1 rebound – C

It was officially garbage time by the time Lamb saw playing time. He made 1-of-5 shots as he didn’t look warm out there. You can’t grade his game too much from last night.