Former UCLA backcourt mates Darren Collison 06-09 and Russell Westbrook 07-08 met up in the NBA yesterday as Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder visited Collison and the New Orleans Hornets. DC started for the Chris Paul-less Hornets. The Thunder won 103-99.
Top scorers:
Kevin Durant, OKC, forward, 30 pts
Marcus Thornton, NOH, guard, 22 pts
Russell's line: 26 pts, 10 assists, 2 to's, 5/1 a/to ratio, 8 rbds
Darren's line: 9 pts, 9 assists, 5 to's, 1.8/1 a/to ratio, 2 rbds
video credit: getlite32 on youtube.com
Recap
Thunder pull out 103-99 win over Hornets
By Alejandro de los Rios, for NBA.com
Posted Thursday February 4, 2010 12:12AM
NEW ORLEANS (NBA.com exclusive) -- For the second game in a row, the Oklahoma City Thunder saw a double-digit lead evaporate in the fourth quarter. And for the second-straight time, the Thunder were able to keep their composure and come out with a victory against a New Orleans Hornets team Kevin Durant had yet to beat.
"I've never beat the Hornets," he said. "They've been playing well as of late, so it feels cool to come into a hostile environment and get the win."
Durant finished with 30 points, leading his team to a crucial 103-99 win. After starting off slow with just four first-quarter points, the third-year forward came alive with 14 points in the second quarter on the way to his 23rd consecutive game with 25 or more points. The record-setting streak is the longest by a player under 22 years old and the longest overall in the NBA since Allen Iverson did the same nine seasons ago.
"My teammates did a great job looking for me and finding me, so I just try to do my best and finish for them," Durant said. "I've got a long ways to go to become the player I want to be, so I've got to continue to work and get better."
But while Durant continued his torrid scoring streak, the Thunder benefited from a balanced attack that kept New Orleans off-balance for most of the game. A night after coming one rebound away from his second career triple-double, Russell Westbrook notched 26 points and a game-high 10 assists. His nine first-quarter points set the tone on a night that Hornets defenders seemed incapable of stopping the Thunders' pick-and-roll.
The Thunder also received a surprising contribution from Nenad Krstic, who hit his first seven shots on the way to matching teammate Jeff Green with 14 points. But despite a well-rounded offense and shooting 52.6 from the floor, the win didn't come easy. Oklahoma City gave up 25 points off 18 turnovers and saw a 12-point lead disappear mid-way through the fourth quarter.
"We gave up the lead but I like how the last two nights we didn't fall apart," Thunder head coach Scott Brooks said. "Those are things we pride ourselves on, to stay together as a team and compete for each other."
The win came against a Hornets squad trying to avoid losing three-straight home games for the first time all season while dealing with the news that they would be without All-Star point guard Chris Paul for at least a month due to arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. Playing in Paul's place, Darren Collison managed nine points and nine assists but committed five turnovers. Peja Stojakovic and David West did their parts and contributed 14 points apiece while center Emeka Okafor recorded his 21st double-double of the season finishing with 14 points and 12 boards.
"We just couldn't make plays down the stretch to pull the game out," West said. "We tried to come out and be aggressive, but it just went in a different direction in the fourth quarter."
This marks the fourth-straight win for the Thunder and their seventh win in their last nine games. More importantly, the win gives Oklahoma City a one-game lead over New Orleans in the race for the final playoff spot in the West. The Hornets, meanwhile, dropped to 1-4 in their last five home games and, with nine teams separated by just four games, the Hornets cannot afford to lose momentum at this stage in the season.
Hornets coach Jeff Bower had benefited from outstanding play from rookies Collison and Marcus Thornton of late -- the pair has combined to average 32.9 points, 8.2 assists and 7.7 rebounds a game as starters. But Thornton, who led the Hornets with 22 points, was fouled hard coming down the lane and had to leave the game in the fourth quarter with a knee injury. He received a post-game MRI but his status remains uncertain. Now the Hornets have to deal with the prospect of playing without their starting guards for a crucial stretch heading into the All-Star break.
The game would have been a blowout early had it not been for all the Thunders' turnovers. To wit, the Thunder began the game on a 14-2 run gave the ball up seven times and allowed New Orleans to tie the game at the end of the first frame despite shooting just 37.5 percent. In the end, though, the Thunder were able to shoot the ball more effectively and collect just enough rebounds to secure the win.
"Kevin came out with good energy for back-to-back games," Brooks said. "We didn't use that as an excuse and I liked this win."
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