• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Durant upstages Redd as SuperSonics top Bucks

Dec 8, 2007 - 7:51 AM SEATTLE (Ticker) -- Rookie Kevin Durant made sure things went according to plan when the Milwaukee Bucks come into town.

Durant took control in the fourth quarter en route to a season high-tying 35 points to help the Seattle SuperSonics continue their home dominance over the Bucks, 104-98, on Friday night.

It was the eighth straight win at Key Arena in the series for the Sonics, who haven't suffered a setback to the Bucks here since January 29, 2000.

Durant connected on 9-of-20 shots and pulled down seven boards to outshine fellow rookie Yi Jianlian, who was selected sixth overall by Milwaukee in June's draft.

Drafted second overall for his offensive power, Durant used his 7-foot wingspan to record a season-best five blocks.

"(Durant's) awfully long," Bucks coach Larry Krystkowiak said. "With that wingspan, he gets his hands on a lot of balls and a lot of deflections."

Tied at 77-77 in the fourth with 8:52 remaining, Durant scored on a tough lefthanded driving layup and hit a 3-pointer from the right corner during an 8-2 surge.

Michael Redd's 21-foot jumper drew Milwaukee within 87-82 at the 5:31 mark. The 6-6 sharpshooter finished with a season-best 41 points on 12-of-24 shooting.

"I'm just trying to provide for my team and I love that challenge and being put in that position," Redd said. "Seattle was trying to play all kinds of defenses."

But the 19-year-old Durant poured in nine of Seattle's next 11 points - including back-to-back jumpers from the wing - to take a 98-90 bulge with 43 seconds left.

"They went to him down the stretch," Krystkowiak said. "This is the kind of player everyone anticipated coming into this league. He got some confidence early, and I thought we did a decent (job) on him, he just made some big plays."

Chris Wilcox had 14 points and 13 rebounds and Earl Watson added 12 and nine assists to give the SuperSonics their first pair of wins at home since March 1-4.

Andrew Bogut had 13 points and 11 boards and Yi also scored 13 for the Bucks, who are a dismal 1-6 after starting the season 7-4.