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Thunder-Wizards Preview

Dec 29, 2009 - 6:42 AM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

Oklahoma City (15-14) at Washington (10-18), 7:00 p.m. EDT

The Oklahoma City Thunder won eight times on the road all of last season. They have a chance to surpass that total before the New Year.

The Thunder seek their fourth straight victory overall and third in a row over the Washington Wizards when they conclude a quick two-game road trip Tuesday night.

After relocating from Seattle, the Thunder went 8-33 on the road last season en route to a 23-59 overall finish.

Sparked by Kevin Durant's season high-tying 40 points and 19 from former Nets center Nenad Krstic, Oklahoma City (16-14) improved to 8-7 away from home with Monday's 105-89 victory over New Jersey. It also gave the Thunder their first three-game winning streak of 2009-10.

The Oklahoma City franchise has not won four in a row since the Seattle SuperSonics did it April 2-9, 2006.

"I was so pleased with the how we played in the fourth quarter," Durant said after the Thunder held the Nets to 13 points in the final 12 minutes. "No matter if I got 40 or not, we played so hard in the fourth and limited their touches, limited them to one shot and out and we got some easy baskets. That was a great effort in the fourth."

Oklahoma CIty improved to 13-2 when holding the opponent to fewer than 100 points.

"That's what we are," said Thunder coach Scott Brooks, whose club may face a challenge by a Wizards team averaging 106.2 points in five home games this month. "When we defend it gives us a chance to win, and Kevin was really good."

Durant, averaging 28.2 points, scored 35 and Russell Westbrook added 26 with seven assists in a 127-108 victory over the visiting Wizards on Nov. 20 - an effort that remains the highest scoring output for the Thunder since the franchise moved.

While Oklahoma City needs one victory in its next two games to ensure a winning record through December for the first time since 2004-05, Washington (10-19) keeps falling further below .500.

The Wizards dropped the final two games of their just-completed three-game trip. They rallied from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit but fell 116-111 in overtime to Memphis on Monday night.

Gilbert Arenas had 30 points and tied a season high with five 3-pointers, and Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler added 24 points apiece, but the Wizards fell nine games below .500 to match their low-water mark of the season.

"We just couldn't get a break," said Arenas, who committed 18 turnovers on the road trip. "We are just not getting the breaks that we need. They are all going against us."

After missing both games against Oklahoma City last season due to injury, Arenas had 23 points and eight assists in last month's loss.

Jamison scored 29 points while teammate Andray Blatche had 19 and a career-high 15 rebounds in the Thunder's last visit to the Verizon Center, a 104-95 Wizards victory Dec. 27 last season.

Westbrook is averaging 19.0 points, 7.7 assists and 5.0 boards during the Thunder's current winning streak.

Oklahoma City has won eight straight games versus teams with sub-.500 records.