Final - OT
Durant leads Thunder into showdown with Mavs
Mar 25, 2014 - 2:09 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - Kevin Durant is making it easy for voters in his case for league MVP.Durant will try to keep his hot hand going and the voters tuned in Tuesday, when the Oklahoma City Thunder take their four-game winning streak to Big D for a showdown with the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center.
Durant didn't reach the 50-point mark in Oklahoma City's last win, a 117-96 blowout of the Denver Nuggets Monday night, but did enough with 27 points to keep his scoring streak alive. Durant, who posted 51 points at Toronto last Friday, has scored 25 or more points in 35 straight games, averaging 35.1 points in that time, and leads the NBA with 32.1 ppg.
The Thunder superstar is closing in on Michael Jordan's mark of 40 straight games with at least 25 points. Jordan turned the trick during the 1986-87 season.
Reggie Jackson posted his second-career double-double of 16 points and 11 assists, and delivered 25 points and 12 rebounds in the aforementioned win over the Raptors.
"It's good for us to get wins like this and for everybody to be playing well," Jackson told the team's website. "We're just trying to play within the offense and figure things out going into these playoffs."
Oklahoma City is two games behind sizzling San Antonio for the Western Conference lead and has won six of seven games. The Thunder will try to extend their road winning streak to four games and are 23-11 as the guest.
After taking in the scenes in Los Angeles, the Thunder will return home for three straight games against Sacramento, Utah and San Antonio.
Thunder guard Russell Westbrook missed the game against Denver with a sprained knee and is day-to-day. He had 15 points against Toronto and has scored that many in each of his last six games.
While the Thunder are averaging 106.0 points this season, the playoff-hopeful Mavericks are not too far off with 104.6 ppg. Oklahoma City, though, is holding opponents to 99.3 ppg and Dallas is allowing 102.3 points.
Dallas is 2-2 so far on a franchise-record eight-game homestand, which continued with Sunday's 107-104 overtime loss to the Brooklyn Nets.
Monta Ellis scored a game-high 32 points and Vince Carter, Shawn Marion and Samuel Dalembert chipped in 12 points apiece for the Mavericks, who have lost two of their last three after winning five of six. Dalembert added 15 rebounds and a season-high seven blocks in defeat.
The Nets used a 7-0 run for a 103-95 lead late in the extra period and Dallas couldn't regroup, falling to 23-12 in Big D. Nets forward Joe Johnson tied the game at 91-91 to send the game to overtime on a driving layup with 9.9 seconds left in regulation.
"We were in great position and twice we couldn't get stops. Give them credit. We put ourselves in that position without being able to get stops," said Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle.
Dirk Nowitzki had an off night and scored 10 points on 2-of-12 shooting. He was averaging 23.0 ppg in his previous five games.
Dallas has allowed 100-plus points in three straight games and still has the Los Angeles Clippers, Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors to entertain on its 16-day stay. The Mavs are tied with Phoenix for the eighth spot in the West -- two games behind Golden State and a half-game in back of Memphis. Portland is three games ahead of both the Suns and Mavericks at No. 5.
Mavericks guard Jose Calderon (facial injury) is day-to-day.
The Mavericks and Thunder have split two games this season with both games played in Oklahoma City. The Thunder have won nine of the past 11 meetings between the teams and are unbeaten in three straight trips to Dallas.
Mar 25 11:24 PM- OKLAHOMA CITY: 111
DALLAS: 111
End of Regulation
Mar 25 10:52 PM - 230
rootsRUWTbot Added 38 roots (Close Finish, Overtime)
Thunder 111, Mavericks 111 End of Reg.Mar 25 10:52 PM - 166
roots - 131
roots - OKLAHOMA CITY: 89
DALLAS: 84
End of 3rd
Mar 25 10:11 PM - OKLAHOMA CITY: 60
DALLAS: 59
Halftime
Mar 25 9:22 PM - OKLAHOMA CITY: 24
DALLAS: 28
End of 1st
Mar 25 8:47 PM - OKLAHOMA CITY: 0
DALLAS: 0
1st Quarter - 11:39
Mar 25 8:18 PM
Related News
- The Oklahoma City Thunder Have Arrived Jan 3
- The Chet Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama Rivalry Has Started Early Dec 28
- Stats rundown: 3 stats to know from the Dallas Mavericks’ Christmas Day win over the Phoenix Suns, 128-114 Dec 26
- 3 thoughts on a tense 128-114 Christmas win for the Mavericks over the Phoenix Suns Dec 26
- Luka Hits 10,000 Points: How Doncic reached a career Milestone Dec 25
- Mavericks vs Suns Preview: the NBA Christmas Day nightcap of Dallas against Phoenix Dec 25
- Mavericks Odds: How to bet the Dallas Mavericks at Phoenix Suns Dec 25
- Mavericks vs Suns Preview: 3 things to know as Mavericks get Christmas Day showdown against the Suns Dec 24
- NBA Power Rankings Watch: the Mavericks navigate the injury bug Dec 24
- Bask in Dante Exum’s glow up from NBA exile to Dallas Mavericks starter Dec 24
- AJ Lawson scores career-high 17 points against the Spurs Dec 24
- Quote board: Doncic, Mavs roll over Wemby-less Spurs Dec 24