Thunder Week In Review Times Three: 1/18-2/7
149. Final. 95. 170. 109
After the Hornets took a 2-1 lead in the game’s first minute, the Thunder sparked a 19-7 run that put them up 20-9 with 5:50 to go in the 1st quarter. The Hornets worked to cut into the lead for the remainder of the 1st, but the Thunder still took a 30-22 lead into the 2nd.
The Hornets spent the entirety of the second quarter doing the same, but no significant runs by either side allowed the Thunder to take a 52-45 lead into the locker room at halftime.
The Hornets, despite having difficulty cutting into the lead, were at least keeping it close. The Thunder were only up 62-55 at the 6:53 mark of the 3rd quarter when they sparked an 8-1 run hat gave them a 70-56 lead with 5:59 to play in the period. And while the Hornets were still working to cut into the lead, the Thunder managed to push the lead to 88-70 by the end of the 3rd.
The 4th quarter saw no significant runs by either side, much like the 2nd quarter. The Hornets lack of significant runs over the course of the contest cost them, and the Thunder took a 109-95 victory that gave them a 2-0 season series sweep, improving the Thunder to 32-12 overall.
Westbrook posted a 16-point, 15-assist double-double to go with Adams’ 10-point, 10-rebound double-double. Durant finished with 26 points, while Ibaka dropped 11. Kanter had 12 bench points to add to Kyle Singler’s 11.
Kemba Walker ended his night with 21 points, and P.J. Hairston splashed in 11. Jeremy Lin was good for 16 bench points, Frank Kaminsky added 15, and Troy Daniels contributed 11.
The Thunder did see a night off before beginning a four-game road trip that started in Dallas. The Mavericks were in the same position that the Nuggets were earlier in the week in that they needed to win the next two games of the season series just to end it in a 2-2 split. The Thunder won the first game of the series 117-114 on Nov. 22nd, 2015. Westbrook posted a 31-point, 11-assist double-double in Durant’s absence. The Thunder won the second game 108-89 a mere nine nights before this third game. Durant put up a 29-point, 10-rebound double-double in a game that saw Westbrook get ejected.
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