Dec

8

Maggette Technicals Help Thunder Jolt Warriors 104-88

Posted by Stephen Rhodes under NBA Game Recap 

Kevin Durant (#35)

From all appearances, it looks like the Oklahoma City Thunder are for real, with the seeds of this promising club being planted when the team was in Seattle. With Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, Russell Westbrook and James Harden in place, you have a team to be reckoned with. But enough of the props. Monday night found the Golden State visiting the Ford Center to take on the Thunder; while neither team shot very well, it took an episode in the late third quarter to determine the winner of this contest. A pair of technical fouls whistled on the Warriors’ Corey Maggette opened up the third quarter, allowing Oklahoma City to coast to a 104-88 win over Golden State.

Monta Ellis scored nine early points as the Warriors rushed to a 21-12 before the Thunder went on a 12-2 run to regain the lead at the beginning of the second quarter. Ellis and Maggette led the Golden State charge as they manufactured a 10-0 run, but the Thunder’s Harden had seven point in a 14-0 response, capped by a Green tip-in of a Durant miss, giving Oklahoma City a 41-35 lead. The Thunder put together a 10-0 spurt after the Warriors took a 51-50 lead on Ellis’ two free throws 19 seconds after halftime. Golden State would rip off eight straight points to tie things up at 62-all.

The Thunder led by one when Maggette drew a pair of technical fouls for arguing with official Derek Richardson late in the third quarter. Durant hit both technical free throws then Westbrook drained a pair of free throws from the initial foul against Maggette. Between Maggette’s ejection from the game and the end of the third period, the Thunder outscored the Warriors 16-5 to take control and secure the victory.

Three Thunder players scored at least 21 points, led by Durant with 28 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals and a block but committed 6 turnovers while Harden chipped in a career-high 26 with 9 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals; Green scored 21 with 13 rebounds, 3 assists and a block. Ellis led the Warriors with 31 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and a block while Stephen Curry added 22 with 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 4 steals.

Oklahoma City (11-9) plays again on Friday when they travel to Memphis to take on the Grizzlies while Golden State (6-14) travels to New Jersey to face the New Jersey Nets on Wednesday.


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