OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) ― In a little over a week, the Oklahoma City Thunder have broken out of a midseason slump and made their case to be best team in the NBA.
Russell Westbrook scored 27 points, Kevin Durant added 26 points and 10 rebounds and the Thunder used an electrifying third quarter to beat Chicago 92-78 on Sunday and move within a game of the Bulls for the NBA’s best record.
One week earlier, the Thunder handed Miami its most lopsided defeat yet this season. Then they were even more dominating against the league-leading Bulls.
“Their numbers say what they are. There’s not much they don’t have,” Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau said. “They play hard, they play unselfishly, they play smart, they’re tough. Their defense is excellent.”
The Thunder were scuffling in late March, having lost five out of 10 games while trying to put together a consistent stretch.
In a pair of Sunday games on their home court, they’ve outclassed the two other teams in the thick of the race for the No. 1 overall seed in the NBA playoffs.
Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah drives to the basket on Oklahoma City Thunder center Kendrick Perkins in the third quarter. (AP-Yonhap News)
“We just picked up the intensity, I think. Playing hard. I can’t stop saying it,” Durant said. “Every possession, we’ve just been trying to scramble as hard as we can on the defensive end and move the ball on the offensive end. We’ve got to keep it up.”
Oklahoma City beat the Heat 103-87 last Sunday.
The Bulls, who had not lost by more than 17 this season, only avoided their biggest loss of the season because the Thunder pulled their starters in the fourth quarter and reserve John Lucas III hit two 3-pointers in the final minute.
Rondo has triple-double as Celts rout Heat
BOSTON (AP) ― Rajon Rondo got his pregame orders from Doc Rivers. The Celtics coach wanted his point guard to concentrate on scoring.
Rondo did that ― and so much more.
He finished with 16 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds, and Boston handed Miami its biggest loss of the season, pulling away with a dominant third quarter for a 91-72 win over the Heat on Sunday.
Rondo had eight assists in that period when the Celtics outscored the Heat 31-12, turning a 49-44 halftime lead into an 80-56 advantage. They stayed ahead by at least 19 the rest of the way for their fifth straight win.
He also had 10 points in the first quarter. Not bad for a sometimes shaky shooter who hadn’t scored more than seven points in any of his previous five games.
Denver 104, Orlando 101
Toronto 99, Washington 92
Indiana 104, Houston 102
Phoenix 92, New Orleans 75
Portland 119, Minnesota 106
LA Lakers 120, Golden State 112
koreaherald@heraldcorp.com
