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Durant, Westbrook lead Thunder over Hornets

Feb 21, 2012 - 7:02 AM Oklahoma City, OK (Sports Network) - After combining for 91 points on Sunday, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook totaled 62 together on Monday as the Oklahoma City Thunder held off the New Orleans Hornets to earn their 10th straight home victory with a 101-93 decision at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

Durant and Westbrook netted 31 points apiece to lead the Thunder, who recorded 10 straight wins at home for the first time since a 12-game win streak from February 22-April 2, 1998, when the team was known as the Seattle SuperSonics.

"I thought we came out with great energy," Thunder head coach Scott Brooks said. "It was such an emotional game [on Sunday], and our guys came out and responded well."

Jarrett Jack dropped in 18 points to lead five double-digit scorers for New Orleans, which had its season-high three-game win streak snapped. Greivis Vasquez had 15 points, Al-Farouq Aminu added 14, Chris Kaman had 12 and Marco Belinelli contributed 10 in a losing effort for the Hornets.

Oklahoma City held a 60-38 lead at the half and stretched its lead to as much as 26 points in the third quarter before the Hornets began to battle back.

After the Thunder took a 68-42 lead on a pair of Durant free throws with 8:33 left in the third, New Orleans reeled off a 15-3 run to get within 14.

Oklahoma City responded with an 8-2 spurt to retake a 20-point advantage, 79-59, and it was an 84-69 game at the end of the third.

Aminu opened the scoring in the fourth with a layup and Jack followed with a trey to cut the Hornets' deficit to 10.

A Nazr Mohammed layup put the Thunder back on top by 12, 86-74, and they were able to maintain their double-digit lead over the next seven minutes.

But after Durant's three-pointer gave Oklahoma City a 95-80 lead with 5 1/2 minute left in the game, the Thunder would not record another shot from the floor for the remainder of the contest.

The Hornets took advantage of the Thunder's cold streak with an 11-2 run to get within six, 97-91, with a minute left in the game, but Westbrook went 4- for-4 from the foul line down the stretch to hold off the Hornets.

After a back-and-forth opening three minutes, Oklahoma City dominated the rest of the opening quarter, closing out the first with a 22-9 run to hold a 31-18 advantage after one as the Thunder shot 61 percent from the floor.

The Thunder remained hot in the second quarter, connecting on 10-of-20 shots in the frame. They led by double digits over the entire frame and gradually increased their lead. Westbrook's jumper in the closing seconds put Oklahoma City ahead, 60-38, at the break.

Durant scored 19 points and Westbrook had 15 through the first 24 minutes for the Thunder. Kaman netted eight points to pace the Hornets, who shot just 29 percent in the first half.

Game Notes

Oklahoma City improved to 13-1 at home this season, while New Orleans fell to 4-10 on the road...The Hornets started their lone back-to-back-to-back stretch of the season and will also face Indiana and Cleveland in the trek...Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins each pulled down 13 rebounds for the Thunder, who held a 48-47 advantage on the glass.