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Thunder try to grab commanding 3-0 lead vs. Nuggets

Apr 23, 2011 - 2:38 PM (Sports Network) - Denver hopes a shift in scenery to the Rocky Mountains will result in a change of momentum during its Western Conference quarterfinals set with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook once again led the Thunder with 23 and 21 points, respectively, on Wednesday as Oklahoma City jumped out to a big lead and cruised to a 106-89 victory over the Denver Nuggets in Game 2 of their series.

James Harden scored 14 of his 18 points in a first half controlled by the Thunder, who went up by as many as 26 points early in the second quarter and led by double digits the rest of the way. Serge Ibaka finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds, while Kendrick Perkins totaled seven and 11 to spearhead the Thunder's 54-31 edge on the glass.

"All we've done really is just protect our home court," Thunder head coach Scott Brooks said. "Now it's time to go back, watch the film, find ways that we can improve, find ways that we can get better next game. We know going into their court it's not going to be easy, but we're looking forward to the challenge."

Ty Lawson scored 20 points, while Nene and Raymond Felton both had 16 for the Nuggets, who shot just 39 percent from the field and arrive back in Denver trailing the series, 2-0.

Al Harrington added 15 points for Denver, which got just two from J.R. Smith. Both Smith and fellow reserve Chris Andersen were benched by head coach George Karl in the game and unhappy. Smith even intimated there was a "strong possibility" he would leave the Nuggets next summer as a free agent.

"I don't want J.R. to be happy about not playing. I want J.R. to be angry," Karl said. "I want Bird [Andersen] to be angry. I want them all to be angry. I would be angry. I also want them to be teammates. I think J.R., more than ever, is showing that he wants to be that guy."

A critical Perkins tip-in late in Game 1 helped Oklahoma City take a 107-103 victory, though the NBA said Monday that officials should have called offensive goaltending on the play. There was no controversial finish in Wednesday's wire-to-wire drubbing.

"[The Thunder] were totally in control, they were energized, they were more physical, they were quicker and probably smarter," Karl said. "The hole was just too big."

Denver should get a boost tonight with the expected return of guard Arron Afflalo to the lineup. Afflalo, the team's best perimeter defender who missed 13 games over the final month of the regular season and the first two games of this set with a left hamstring injury, practiced Friday and is ready to go.

"We're healthy now," Afflalo said. "No more excuses."

The Nuggets finished in second place, five games behind Oklahoma City in the Northwest Division during the regular season. Denver has also 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.

Game 4 in the series will be Monday, also in Denver.