• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Westbrook, Durant pace Thunder over Magic

Jan 14, 2011 - 8:30 AM Oklahoma City, OK (Sports Network) - Kevin Durant scored 36 points and Russell Westbrook compiled a triple-double with 32 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds as Oklahoma City edged Orlando, 125-124.

Nenad Krstic scored 16 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, while Jeff Green donated 12 points for Oklahoma City, which won its fourth straight game.

Dwight Howard posted 39 points and 18 rebounds, Jason Richardson recorded 19 points and J.J. Redick added 18 points for Orlando, which has lost two games in a row.

Oklahoma City got off to a fast start, opening a 14-5 edge on a pair of Krstic free throws. Four straight points from Westbrook capped an 8-2 scoring stretch later in the stanza for a 22-10 margin.

However, Orlando finally found its stroke, totaling 17 points in the quarter's final 3:30 and cutting into a 12-point margin. A three-pointer by Gilbert Arenas just before the buzzer cut the deficit to 35-27.

Neither team pulled ahead by a considerable margin in the second quarter.

Oklahoma City held a seven-point lead late in the half before Redick connected from long distance with just over one tick remaining. Durant missed just one shot in the first half, making 8-of-9 from the floor, and scored 21 points to pace the Thunder.

Oklahoma City increased its advantage to as many as 10 points in the third quarter at 80-70 on the last of four straight free throws by Westbrook. The Thunder led 96-86 after three periods.

Trailing 106-96, Orlando came on strong with a 14-5 scoring stretch to pull within one. Howard's hook shot in the lane capped the burst with just under five minutes remaining.

Two Durant free throws with 41.3 seconds left gave the Thunder some breathing room at 121-117, but Jameer Nelson answered on the other end with 32.3 ticks to go. Durant delivered the dagger, a step-back jumper from the left elbow with 8.1 seconds remaining to make it a two-possession game. Richardson's three at the horn capped the scoring.

"We beat one of the best teams in basketball," Thunder head coach Scott Brooks said. "That was an exciting game. Both teams played at a high level offensively."

Game Notes

Orlando had won eight of the last nine meetings before Thursday...Ryan Anderson scored 15 points for the Magic, while Nelson struggled to just nine on 4-of-12 shooting...Oklahoma City shot 56.4 percent from the floor, while Orlando made 45.6 percent of its shots.