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Durant, Thunder pull away to beat Nuggets

Nov 19, 2013 - 7:20 AM Oklahoma City, OK (SportsNetwork.com) - Kevin Durant scored a game-high 38 points with eight rebounds and six assists, Russell Westbrook scored 30 points with 12 rebounds and seven assists and the Oklahoma City Thunder outscored the Denver Nuggets by 11 in the fourth quarter to win 115-113 on Monday night.

In a game of runs, Oklahoma City saved the best for last when Durant scored seven points and Westbrook added five during a 14-4 run to pull the Thunder to within two, 99-97, with just over seven minutes to play.

Later, the game was tied at 105 with under two minutes left when Westbrook missed back-to-back jumpers, but both times Serge Ibaka kept the possession alive with offensive rebounds.

On the second one, Ibaka was falling backward when he launched the ball back toward Durant at the top of the key. Durant buried a 3-pointer with a minute and a half to go.

After Kenneth Faried made 1-of-2 free throws, Westbrook crossed over Randy Foye and J.J. Hickson on the ensuing possession and blasted through the lane for a layup with 22.3 seconds left, giving Oklahoma City its biggest lead at 110-106, and the Thunder held on to snap a three-game losing skid against Denver.

"Going into this game, we knew Denver was going to be a tough team to stop," said Thunder head coach Scott Brooks.

Ty Lawson scored 29 points with eight assists and Hickson tallied 18 points with 19 rebounds in the loss.

After a Westbrook layup to open the game, Denver went on a 10-2 run thanks to back-to-back 3-pointers from Wilson Chandler and Foye.

The Nuggets ended the final minute of the first quarter on a 7-2 spurt that pushed the lead to 39-28.

The Thunder then opened the second stanza on a 10-2 run to pull within three. Jeremy Lamb made a floater to open the quarter and capped the run with a 3- pointer.

Denver answered with a 10-0 run to stretch the lead back to double-digits after Nate Robinson hit a step-back jumper and then a 3-pointer the next time down the floor.

Durant and Westbrook got the Thunder right back in the game, both scoring four points as part of an 8-0 spurt that pulled them to within four, 52-48, with 4:43 left in the half.

Denver stretched the lead back to double-digits with just over a minute to play, but Westbrook led a 7-0 charge to make it a one possession game at the break.

The Nuggets opened the first five minutes of the second half on a 15-4 run to take their largest lead of the game at 78-64.

Oklahoma City chipped away in the final minutes of the third and trailed 92-83 heading into the fourth.

Game Notes

Oklahoma City is 4-0 at home ... Reggie Jackson scored 14 points off the bench for the Thunder ... Evan Fournier scored 12 points and Robinson netted 10 for Denver ... Both teams play on Thursday as the Nuggets will host Chicago and Oklahoma City welcomes the Los Angeles Clippers.