Thunder ride Durant, win sixth straight
February 10, 2010
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)—Oklahoma City is in the midst of its longest winningstreak in six seasons.
Kevin Durant(notes) had 33 points and 11 rebounds to help the Thunder beat theBlazers 89-77 on Tuesday night for a season-high sixth straight win.
The six-game winning streak is the Oklahoma City franchise’s longest sincethe team was in Seattle and they won nine straight in 2004. It was the finalgame before the All-Star break for the Thunder.
“We’re feeling good going into the break,” Durant said. “The mostimportant thing is that we come back ready to play after the All-Star break. Weneed to enjoy the break but come back with that mind set ready to fight throughthese last 30 games.”
Portland Trail Blazers forward… AP – Feb 10, 12:55 am EST Oklahoma City Thunder forward … AP – Feb 10, 12:55 am EST
Oklahoma City Thunder forward … AP – Feb 10, 12:55 am EST
Oklahoma City Thunder forward … AP – Feb 10, 12:51 am EST
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Th… AP – Feb 9, 10:56 pm EST
Portland Trail Blazers guard A… AP – Feb 9, 10:54 pm EST
Oklahoma City Thunder forward … AP – Feb 9, 10:49 pm EST
Oklahoma City Thunder forward … AP – Feb 9, 10:42 pm EST YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_last_index = 7; YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_lazy_images = [http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100210/capt.120295ed8fd04031a45351314bcf9faa.thunder_trail_blazers_basketball_ordr106.jpg?x=180&y=200&xc=1&yc=1&wc=318&hc=353&q=70&sig=foYZgQEa57dvbz6.YtJ77g--,http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100210/capt.1da528626f9149979953c897eb54726b.thunder_trail_blazers_basketball_ordr105.jpg?x=180&y=200&xc=1&yc=1&wc=293&hc=326&q=70&sig=kYGTXeWO7DbCBt7RBx0ZPg--,http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100210/capt.2c8ddd31d3404ad4aa2000d357888125.thunder_trail_blazers_basketball_ordr108.jpg?x=180&y=200&xc=75&yc=1&wc=263&hc=292&q=70&sig=Ufgmg8EPWBcKS.7LN55buw--,http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100210/capt.15c74ea84bc64fc699b452a7352e1684.thunder_trail_blazers_basketball_ordr104.jpg?x=180&y=200&xc=8&yc=1&wc=368&hc=409&q=70&sig=0QMACQ81WcZP3zIZAkQchw--,http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100210/capt.ca9a3918ed8c44d6864e67a78dce0366.thunder_trail_blazers_basketball_ordr103.jpg?x=180&y=200&xc=39&yc=1&wc=334&hc=371&q=70&sig=hb1mLdu_CzWaL6tqe.aC_A--,http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100210/capt.0aea2ddf944b4c818f07af78815bf9b8.thunder_trail_blazers_basketball_ordr102.jpg?x=180&y=200&xc=1&yc=1&wc=266&hc=296&q=70&sig=7pV5ozmvchc.8f96Y6.Jhg--,http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100210/capt.55e45f74066b46c3970e139b2fe7a947.thunder_trail_blazers_basketball_ordr101.jpg?x=180&y=200&xc=1&yc=1&wc=282&hc=313&q=70&sig=VhKsyvxCebkHCzkaFTLNxg--]; YAHOO.util.Event.addListener(window,load,YAHOO.Sports.articleLazyLoadCarousel.init); 1 of 8 OKC-Por Gallery function prev_photo() { if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index > 0) { goto_photo(YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index – 1); } else { goto_photo(YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_last_index); }}function next_photo() { if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index 0) { YAHOO.util.Dom.addClass(article_carousel_prev, prev); YAHOO.util.Dom.removeClass(article_carousel_prev, prev_disabled); } else { YAHOO.util.Dom.addClass(article_carousel_prev, prev_disabled); YAHOO.util.Dom.removeClass(article_carousel_prev, prev); } if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index < YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_last_index) { YAHOO.util.Dom.addClass(article_carousel_next, next); YAHOO.util.Dom.removeClass(article_carousel_next, next_disabled); } else { YAHOO.util.Dom.addClass(article_carousel_next, next_disabled); YAHOO.util.Dom.removeClass(article_carousel_next, next); }*/}function goto_photo(p) { if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos) { for(i = 0; i < YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos.length; i++) { if (i == p) { YAHOO.util.Dom.setStyle(YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos[i], display, ); } else { YAHOO.util.Dom.setStyle(YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos[i], display, none); } } if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_page) { YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_page.innerHTML =(p + 1); YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index = p; } } update_buttons();}YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_init = function () { YAHOO.util.Event.addListener(article_carousel_prev, click, prev_photo); YAHOO.util.Event.addListener(article_carousel_next, click, next_photo); YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index = 0; YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_page = YAHOO.util.Dom.get(carousel_page); YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos = YAHOO.util.Dom.getElementsByClassName(item, div, leadphoto); if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos) { goto_photo(0); }}YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_init();
Tuesday’s game was the first time these two former Northwest rivals haveplayed in Portland (29-22) this season. The Thunder left Seattle two years ago.There was a smattering of fans around the Rose Garden wearing a Seattle Sonicst-shirt or holding signs saying “Save Our Sonics.”
“This is a great environment, one of the best in basketball,” OklahomaCity coach Scott Brooks said.
Durant, who hit 12 of 25 shots, continues to sizzle. It was the 25thstraight game that Durant has scored 25 or more points the longest streak sinceAllen Iverson(notes) did it in 27 consecutive games during the 2000-01 season.
Durant, forward Jeff Green(notes) and reserve guard James Harden(notes) did the bulk ofOklahoma City’s scoring, as the three combined for 63 points. Green had 17,while Harden scored 13, all during the fourth quarter.
Defense had a big role in Oklahoma City’s win. The Thunder forced Portlandinto 24 turnovers, two short of the Blazers’ season high. Portland shot just40.3 percent from the field, hitting 31 of 77 shots.
Four Blazers who play shooting guard Martell Webster(notes), Rudy Fernandez(notes), JerrydBayless(notes) and Steve Blake(notes) combined to score eight points and shoot 3 of 22 fromthe floor.
“It was bad, a bad effort tonight,” Portland coach Nate McMillan said.
Andre Miller(notes) scored 22 points to lead Portland. LaMarcus Aldridge(notes) had 15points and 12 rebounds for the Blazers.
Nicolas Batum(notes), who scored 12 points, made his first start of the season forPortland. The 6-foot-8 Batum, who started 76 games last year as a rookie, missedthis season’s first 45 games recovering from shoulder surgery.
The starts to the first and fourth quarters were important in the OklahomaCity win.
Durant scored nine points as the Thunder streaked to a 15-2 lead midwaythrough the first quarter. It took Portland the rest of the half to catch, whichit did just before halftime on layup by Miller that tied the game at 41-41.
Portland took a 61-59 lead into the fourth quarter when Harden caught fire.After a dunk by Green tied the game at 61-61, Harden scored Oklahoma City’s next13 points that was part of a 15-2 Thunder run that broke the game open.
Oklahoma City outscored Portland 30-16 during the fourth quarter.
Notes: Blake left the game late in the first quarter with a chin laceration.He was given five stitches and returned to play during the second quarter.Portland’s Greg Oden(notes) and Durant, the first two picks of the 2007 NBA draft, havefaced each other only five times during their professional career, despiteplaying in the same conference. Oden missed all but two games of the 2007-08season following knee surgery, and is out for the remainder of this season witha patella tendon injury. In the first game between these teams on Nov. 1, Duranthit just 3 of 20 shots against the Blazers. The game marked Portland’s 100thconsecutive sellout in the Rose Garden.
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