• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Durant, Thunder shoot for 2-0 lead over Nuggets

Apr 20, 2011 - 2:56 PM (Sports Network) - Kevin Durant hopes to build on a brilliant Game 1 performance as the Oklahoma City Thunder again host the Denver Nuggets in their Western Conference quarterfinals set.

Durant scored a career playoff-high 41 points and Russell Westbrook had 31 in the opener of the series on Sunday, leading the Thunder to a 107-103 victory.

Eric Maynor added 12 points off the bench, the only other scorer in double figures for a Thunder team that relied on its two All-Stars -- particularly down the stretch. Durant and Westbrook scored 16 of Oklahoma City's 21 points in the fourth quarter.

"It's not just about scoring it's about defending and we played much better defense in the second half. Kevin (Durant) and Russell (Westbrook) were great, they're two All-Stars, but we're not just a Kevin and Russ team, we're a Thunder team," Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks said. "A lot of other guys helped us win tonight."

Nene had 22 points and Danilo Gallinari scored 18 to lead the Nuggets.

"We had our chances," said Nuggets head coach George Karl. "The guys fought, they did everything we asked them to. Durant and Westbrook make 72 points against us as hard as we're playing? I think we'll be able to make some adjustments there."

Game 1 wasn't without controversy, however. Denver had battled back when Thunder center Kendrick Perkins grabbed a rebound off a Westbrook miss and put it back to give Oklahoma City a one-point edge with 1:05 to play. Nuggets players and coaches thought goaltending should have been called on the play, but there was no whistle.

"I just feel bad, obviously we got a stop, obviously it was goaltending," Karl said. "The ball wasn't even out of the cylinder how can you not see that?"

"I thought it was a great tip-in, a great offensive rebound," Westbrook countered.

In truth, Perkins grabbed a fistful of net and hit the ball while it was still in the cylinder. In fact the non-call was so egregious that the NBA actually admitted a mistake, something it rarely does.

"Although a player is permitted to touch the net while the ball is in the cylinder above the rim, Perkins also touched the ball while it was still in the cylinder which is a violation and constitutes goaltending," the league said in a statement issued Monday.

Too little, too late for the Nuggets, who are staring at an 0-2 hole unless they can win in OKC Tuesday night.

The Nuggets, seeded fifth, finished five games behind Oklahoma City in the Northwest Division. Denver has faced the Seattle/Oklahoma City franchise in three playoff series (1977-78, 1987-88, 19934-94), winning two of those.

The eighth-seeded Nuggets of the 1993-94 season upset the top-seeded Sonics in the opening round, with the memorable shot of Denver center Dikembe Mutombo holding the ball in jubilation on the floor afterwards.

After tonight's game the series shifts to the Rockies for the next two contests, including Saturday's Game 3.