Dec

27

Durant Scores 30 As Thunder Storm Past Bobcats 98-91

Posted by Jeff Sack under NBA Game Recap 

Kevin Durant scored a game high 30 points and Russell Westbrook added 22 more Saturday night as the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Charlotte Bobcats Saturday 98-91. The victory puts the Thunder back above the .500 mark with a record of 15-14 as they have played surprisingly well so far this season. The Bobcats are now 1-13 on the road a sharp contrast to their record at home which is 10-4. Veteran guard Stephen Jackson led Charlotte with 24 points in the loss.

The Thunder had started over the last couple of seasons beginning with the NBA Draft of 2007 been putting together a  nice young core and they have started to gel under coach Scott Brooks. Scott played in the Association and was a guy who got by more on effort and desire than he could through natural athletic ability. Brooks was a scrappy player that did the little things which made him a good teammate; it appears that quality may be a big influence on this young team.

Brooks was named interim coach last season after the team dismissed former head coach P.J. Carlesimo. The team liked enough what they saw last year that he was given the job full time and so far in this campaign it has paid off. Oklahoma City did not get win number 15 until early March last season; this year it is the day after Christmas. Granted there is still quite a lot of the NBA season ahead however if the season ended today the Thunder would be in the Playoffs as the eighth seed in the Western Conference.

The Bobcats would end up on top at the end of the first but the margin was razor thin as the score was 25-24. Oklahoma City would answer back in the second going on a 6-2 run to end the quarter and would walk into the locker room at the half on top 53-50. 

The Thunder started to expand their lead in the third and would be up by double digits with 4:05 left in the period when James Harden buried a trey from 24 feet out to put his team up 77-66. Charlotte would get the deficit back down to single digits by the end of the quarter as Stephen Graham hit an outside jumper in the closing seconds and OKC led 81-73. The Bobcats would get as close as 4 points down in the final 12 minutes but could not get over the hump and the Thunder would walk off with the win.

Kevin Durant had a game high 30 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block and 1 steal in the victory. Russell Westbrook scored 22 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds and 1 steal while center Nenad Krstic recorded a double-double as he put up 13 points, 10 boards, 2 assists and 2 blocks.

Stephen Jackson led the Bobcats with 24 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals while Nazr Mohammed starting for the injured Tyson Chandler scored 16 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block and 1 steal. Gerald Wallace knocked down 13 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks and 1 steal while Raymond Felton added 12 points, 5 assists and 2 rebounds. Stephen Graham came off the bench with 11 points in the loss. Oklahoma City is now 15-14 and will next play Monday as they travel to New Jersey to face the Nets while Charlotte is now 11-17 and will host the Milwaukee Bucks Monday.

© Copyright 2009 thesackattack


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