Dec

24

Durant’s Late Jumper Helps Thunder Edge Suns 117-113

Posted by Stephen Rhodes under NBA Game Recap 

Kevin Durant (#35)

If you like fast-paced basketball, then you wouldn’t have been disappointed if you had been in attendance at the Oklahoma City Thunder-Phoenix Suns game Wednesday night at US Airways Center. Both teams, despite their frenetic pace,shot pretty well (Oklahoma City at 47.8% while Phoenix shot at exactly 50%); Kevin Durant and Amare Stoudemire were at their best as they scored 38 and 35 points, respectively. But it was a basket by Durant with 14 seconds left which boosted Oklahoma City past Phoenix 117-113.

The first half was wild and furious, and showcased the talents of Stoudemire and Durant. Stoudemire got the best of the matchup, outscoring Durant 23-18 and out-rebounding him 7-3, but a Durant jumper with 3.8 seconds remaining gave the Thunder a 66-64 lead at the break. The pace was just as frantic in the third quarter as Durant opened the period with a pair of 3-pointers, giving the Thunder a 72-66 lead, but again the Suns rallied, as Stoudemire already equaled his season high with 30 points. Durant, who scored 11 points in the fourth quarter, gave Oklahoma City a 115-111 lead with his final field goal.

Durant led all Thunder scorers with 38 points (including three 3-pointers), 6 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal while Russell Westbrook added 19 with 8 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals; Jeff Green chipped in 17 with 9 rebounds and a steal.

The Suns were led by Stoudemire with 35 points, 14 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal while Channing Frye and Steve Nash added 24 each – with Frye making four treys, grabbing 6 rebounds, dishing out an assist along with 2 steals and 2 blocks while Nash grabbed a rebound and dished out 12 assists.

Oklahoma City (14-14) plays again on Saturday when they return home to host the Charlotte Bobcats while Phoenix (18-11) remains at home to host the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday.


Updates, Fresh From the Oven, Straight to Your Inbox

Comments

Leave a Reply