• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Oklahoma City downs Raptors to stop skid

Apr 9, 2012 - 4:11 AM Oklahoma City, OK (Sports Network) - Kevin Durant netted 23 points on 7-of-14 shooting in just three quarters of action as the Oklahoma City Thunder cruised past the Toronto Raptors, 91-75, at Chesapeake Energy Arena on Sunday.

James Harden scored 17 points off the bench and Russell Westbrook added 15 points, six rebounds and six assists for the Thunder, who snapped a three-game losing streak.

"We came out with a little more urgency on both ends," Durant said.

Jose Calderon paced the Raptors with 19 points and six assists, while DeMar DeRozan donated 16 points and Aaron Gray ripped down 10 boards. Toronto has dropped two straight since beating Philadelphia on April 4.

Durant connected on a jumper at the first quarter horn to give the Thunder a 25-20 advantage.

The Thunder began the second stanza with a 12-4 run to extend their lead to 13 with under eight minutes to play in the quarter, and Oklahoma City held a 50-43 lead at the break.

Trailing, 52-43, early in the third quarter, the Raptors used a 12-6 push to cut the deficit to three, 58-55, capped by an Alan Anderson trey with 6:05 to play in the quarter.

But, then, the Raptors went ice cold from the floor and Oklahoma City took advantage.

Durant stepped to the line with just over four minutes left in the quarter and sank two free throws to stop the run, sparking a 12-0 spurt to close the frame with the Thunder comfortably ahead, 70-55.

Oklahoma City scored the first 12 points of the fourth quarter to go ahead 82-55 -- its largest lead of the game -- with 9 1/2 minutes left and the Thunder rolled to victory the rest of the way.

"They're a great team. We could play them 10 out of 10 times and the results probably wouldn't be different," Raptors head coach Dwane Casey said of the Thunder.

Game Notes

Oklahoma City shot 41.7 percent from the floor and 10-of-23 from three-point range, while the Raptors shot 37.2 percent from the field and 6-of-16 from beyond the arc...Durant, Westbrook, Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins all did not play in the fourth quarter for the Thunder...Toronto turned the ball over 18 times, leading to 21 Thunder points...Nick Collison added six points and nine rebounds for Oklahoma City.