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Balanced attack leads Thunder over Kings

Dec 18, 2010 - 8:00 AM Oklahoma City, OK (Sports Network) - Kevin Durant scored 24 points to lead six players in double-figures, and the Oklahoma City Thunder kept on rolling with a 102-87 victory over the Sacramento Kings.

Russell Westbrook added 21 points for the Thunder, who have won five straight to move into first place after Utah lost on Friday. Serge Ibaka and Nick Collison both added 12 points, and Jeff Green and James Harden each had 11 in the victory.

"We had spurts where we gave up a few points, but overall it was good," Durant said. "We moved the basketball pretty well, and we got some easy baskets. It was a good win for us."

Tyreke Evans scored 22 to pace the Kings, who have lost 12 of 13 and eight straight on the road. DeMarcus Cousins and Beno Udrih each had 19, and Cousins pulled down a game-high 16 boards in defeat.

"They just had more energy than us," Evans said. "They killed us on the boards and second-chance points. That's pretty much it."

Oklahoma City entered the fourth with a five-point lead and quickly took control with an 11-1 run to begin the quarter.

Collison had five points during the stretch, which ended with his layup for an 83-68 advantage with 8:47 to play.

Udrih's three capped an ensuing 9-0 Kings burst that pulled Sacramento to within six with 6 1/2 minutes left, but Oklahoma City answered back with the next eight points. Collison again finished the run with a layup for a 14-point lead with just under five minutes to play.

The Kings never got closer than 10 the rest of the way.

Sacramento held a 22-21 lead after one quarter, but a 12-0 run by the Thunder early in the second put Oklahoma City ahead for good. Four players scored during the spurt, and D.J. White's basket made it a 35-25 game with 7:21 left.

Ibaka's dunk in the final minute closed the first-half scoring with the Thunder ahead, 53-46, and his short basket five minutes into the second half put Oklahoma City in front by 10, 60-50.

The Kings hung around in the third and cut their deficit to four before Collison's free throw sent the Thunder into the fourth ahead, 72-67.

Game Notes

The Thunder are 10-4 at home, including winning the first three of their four- game homestand...The Kings are 2-9 on the road this season...Oklahoma City won last year's season series, 3-1...Sacramento's Jason Thompson suffered a laceration on his right ring finger and received stitches.