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Westbrook dominates again as Thunder top Bulls

Mar 16, 2015 - 2:06 AM Oklahoma City, OK (SportsNetwork.com) - He was unable to record his ninth triple-double of the season, but Russell Westbrook still came up big for the Oklahoma City Thunder in a 109-100 win over the Chicago Bulls on Sunday.

Westbrook scored 14 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter and added 11 rebounds and six assists as Oklahoma City moved to eight games above .500 for the first time this season.

Enes Kanter led five other Thunder players in double figures with 18 points and 18 rebounds. Steven Adams contributed 14 points and 11 rebounds, and Dion Waiters, Anthony Morrow and D.J. Augustin each scored 11.

"Our guys did a great job of staying with it," said Thunder coach Scott Brooks. "I liked the fact that we came out and just kept competing. We were getting a lot of good shots around the basket."

Chicago lost for the fifth time in six games despite Nikola Mirotic's 27 points. Pau Gasol scored 20, and Joakim Noah added 15 points and seven assists.

"We're taking some tough losses right now, and it's not easy to deal with," Gasol said.

In a back-and-forth final quarter, neither team led by more than three until Westbrook's layup at 4:16. The Bulls were within one with less than two minutes to play, but Westbrook carried the team to the finish line.

After his free throw extended Oklahoma City's lead to 97-95, he stole the ball from Mirotic at the other end and flew down the court for a layup. On the next possession, he set up Morrow for a 3 to put the Thunder up seven with 40 seconds left. Westbrook scored five more points in the final minute to help seal the win.

Offense was hard to come by for both teams in the first quarter. Westbrook did not hit his first field goal until the final minute to help the Thunder lead 17-15 after one. The teams combined to shoot 24.5 percent and miss all 15 3- point attempts.

The game opened up a bit in the second quarter and the score was tied at 47 at the break. Aaron Brooks scored on three straight possessions in the final 1 1/2 minutes to key a 9-0 Bulls run that nearly sent them into the locker room with a lead. After E'Twaun Moore's 3 broke a 44-44 tie, Westbrook pulled up for a triple of his own at the other end to put the Thunder in front.

Back-to-back triples by Moore and Tony Snell gave the Bulls a 65-64 lead with 3:13 to go in the third. After Gasol's runner tied the game at 68, Westbrook scored the next five points before Kanter tipped in a Westbrook free-throw miss, and Oklahoma City led 75-70 after three.

Game Notes

The teams split the season series after Chicago prevailed 108-105 on March 5 ... There were 12 ties and 12 lead changes ... The Thunder outrebounded Chicago by a 52-33 margin ... The Bulls scored 27 points off 17 Thunder turnovers ... Oklahoma City has won 16 of its last 18 home games ... Moore finished with 12 points.