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Green, Durant pace Thunder over Suns

Feb 5, 2011 - 5:40 AM Phoenix, AZ (Sports Network) - Jeff Green scored 28 points while Kevin Durant posted 24 points and 11 rebounds as the Oklahoma City Thunder escaped Phoenix with a 111-107 triumph over the Suns.

Russell Westbrook scored 19 points and dished out 11 assists for Oklahoma City, which has won two straight and four of five overall. Serge Ibaka and James Harden both came off the bench to score 18 and 13 points, respectively.

Vince Carter hit 6-of-12 from beyond the three-point arc en route to a season- high 33 points as the Suns ended a five-game homestand with a 3-2 mark. Channing Frye scored 13 and had nine boards while Grant Hill and Steve Nash each had 12 points in the loss.

"When you have a team like this, when we're up and down from time to time, sometimes the ball just doesn't come your way," Carter said. "Whatever the case may be, it's all about patience and I have that. I said, when it's my turn to I'm going to be aggressive and I was able to just give it tonight."

With 9:40 left to play and the teams knotted at 88 apiece, Marcin Gortat scored four points during the Suns' six-point spurt. The Thunder bounced right back, though, on a Westbrook three-pointer and a Durant jumper cut it to a one-point game with 5:42 left to play.

The game was nip and tuck the rest of the way out as Gortat tied the game at 103 following a 1-of-2 showing from the free throw line with 1:41 left.

During the next trip down the court, Ibaka tipped in a missed Westbrook shot. Then, after Carter missed a three-pointer, Westbrook buried a long jumper with 39.6 seconds remaining to make it a two-possession game, 107-103.

Out of a timeout, Carter clanked a long three-point try and Durant snatched the rebound and was fouled immediately.

Durant, however, was called for an over-and-back violation on the subsequent inbounds play, which resulted in a Nash layup for two-point game, 107-105, with 16.4 ticks to go to keep the Suns alive.

However, Durant and Westbrook each hit two free throws to seal the win for the Thunder.

"It was a good tough win for us against a tough team at home," Westbrook said. "We fought through. They made a run but fortunately we came with the last run and got the win. We battled; I think that was the key for us to close the game and that's always a key for us, to close games. We know we can score with any team in the league but we have to defend. If we do that, we give ourselves opportunities to win games."

Phoenix came out quickly to take an 18-8 lead following a Carter three-pointer with 7:45 left to play in the first. The Thunder trimmed the lead to two thanks to a nine-point burst. But Frye responded with a trey with 25 ticks left to take a 36-31 lead into the second.

The second quarter remained tight where there were several ties and the Thunder took a slim 63-60 margin into the locker room.

Tied at 74 with 4:21 left in the third quarter, Carter and Hill hit back-to- back treys and the Suns held onto the lead to close the period up 87-80.

Game Notes

Phoenix is 14-11 at home this season, while Oklahoma City is 14-10 on the road...Gortat finished with 10 points and eight rebounds and Robin Lopez chipped in with 11 points in the loss...The Suns were 13-for-33 from beyond the three-point arc, while the Thunder just finished 6-of-18...Carter's previous season-high was 29 points at New York on January 17.