Thunder beat New Orleans 117-112, end Pelicans’ 4-game run

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points and rookie Aaron Wiggins added a career-high 24 as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat New Orleans 117-112 Sunday night, snapping the Pelicans’ four-game win streak.

Wiggins, who had never scored in double figures this season, eclipsed his previous season best by halftime when he led the Thunder with 11 points.

Recently inserted into the starting lineup for his defense, the second-round draft pick from Florida said there was nothing magical about his unexpected offensive outburst.

“I just think I did a really good job of trying to find open spots,” Wiggins said. “When I’m on the bench, when I’m not in the game, I watch those guys who are really good at playing off ball. I try to make sure when I’m on the court, I’m doing those little things that can help the team get going. My guys found me in open spots and I was just trying to make plays.”

Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said Wiggins’ performance shows growth.

“We’ve been trying to give him confidence and become an offensive player, but to do it inside the role that he’s in and inside the team, which is a hard balance,” Daigneault said. “This was the cumulative effect of a lot of development and a lot of process and growth for Aaron.”

In his third season with the Thunder, Gilgeous-Alexander passed James Harden on the Thunder’s all-time scoring list. He scored eight points down the stretch when Oklahoma City was trying to close out the victory.

“What it really comes down to is me being aggressive whenever I get the opportunity,” said Gilgeous-Alexander. “I saw a few things on how they were playing defense when I was on the bench. I just wanted to come back in and attack those things. But for sure, I want to assert myself.”

Josh Hart had 29 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Pelicans. Garret Temple came off the bench to score 22 points, including 15 in the first half.

Oklahoma City grabbed a 17-3 lead just four minutes into the first quarter, scoring 15 straight points after Josh Hart gave the Pelicans their only advantage of the first three periods with an opening-minute 3-pointer. Oklahoma City held a 14-point edge, 32-18, at the end of the first quarter.

The Thunder expanded the lead to 17 early in the second period before cooling off. The Pelicans cut their deficit to 57-49 at intermission. New Orleans scored eight straight early in the third to make it 60-58 before the Thunder countered with a 10-2 run over the next two minutes and went on to lead 89-81 heading into the fourth.

New Orleans outscored the Thunder 11-2 to start the fourth quarter and took a 92-91 lead with 8:10 left on a dunk by Willy Hernangomez. Kenrich Williams hit a 3-pointer at the other end as the Thunder regained the lead and held on the rest of the way.

-Associated Press-

NBA: Thunder pull out victory over Knicks

Hamidou Diallo scored 11 of his season-high 23 points in the fourth quarter Friday night as the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder pulled away from the New York Knicks for a 101-89 win.

Diallo also added a season-high 11 rebounds despite coming off the bench for the Thunder, which trailed by 11 points in the first quarter before coming back to win their second straight.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also had a double-double with 25 points and 10 rebounds while Al Horford added 15 points and eight assists.

Julius Randle had 18 points and 12 rebounds for the Knicks, who had their three-game winning streak snapped. RJ Barrett scored 19 points while Elfrid Payton (16 points) and Austin Rivers (12 points) also got into double digits.

Barrett scored nine points in the first quarter and twice hit layups that put the Knicks ahead by 11 points.

The Thunder stormed back and took the lead at 28-26 following an 18-5 run spanning the first two periods. Kenrich Williams ended the run with a game-tying 3-pointer and a go-ahead layup.

The Knicks responded with a 7-0 run, during which they held Oklahoma City scoreless for 3:22.

The teams traded the lead three times in the final two minutes before a putback dunk by Mitchell Robinson with just under eight seconds left tied the score 42-42 at the half.

The teams weren't separated by more than three points in the third until the Thunder took a 61-56 lead following a 7-0 run in which Diallo drained a 3-pointer and Gilgeous-Alexander hit back-to-back layups.

The teams went cold again over the final three minutes, during which Oklahoma City outscored the Knicks 6-0 until Rivers hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to cut the gap to 69-63.

Rivers opened the fourth with a driving layup for the Knicks, who closed within five points three more times before a layup by Isaiah Roby began an 8-2 run to give the Thunder its first double-digit lead at 86-75 with 4:46 left.

New York got no closer than nine the rest of the way.

-reuters-

NBA: Lakers pummel OKC without Davis, LeBron

Kyle Kuzma scored a season-high 36 points to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 125-110 road win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night.

The win was the Lakers' eighth consecutive.

The Lakers led by as many as 32 points in the second half but the Thunder cut the lead to just 11 with less than three minutes remaining before Kuzma hit back-to-back shots to put the game firmly in control once again.

Kuzma was 4 of 6 from behind the 3-point line.

For the second consecutive night, the Lakers put together a monster first quarter.

In Friday night's win in Dallas, Los Angeles scored 45 points in the opening frame without Anthony Davis.

In Oklahoma City, the Lakers scored 41 points in the first 12 minutes without its two biggest stars.

Davis missed his second consecutive game with a contusion of his gluteus maximus.

LeBron James was held out with flu-like symptoms.

James had been listed on the injury report due to illness prior to Friday's win in Dallas, where he finished with 35 points, a season-high 16 rebounds and seven assists.

But James couldn't battle through it Saturday on the second of a back-to-back.

"His chest was burning all throughout the game," Lakers coach Frank Vogel said before Saturday's game. "We had to get him out early in the first quarter. I was using timeouts to get him rest, but most of my timeouts last night were centered around helping him fight through the chest cold."

Los Angeles was without a third starter, as Danny Green missed with right hip soreness.

The Lakers jumped out to the big lead, thanks in part to hot 3-point shooting. Los Angeles shot 76.9 percent from behind the arc in the first half. The Thunder were just 2 of 13 from long distance before halftime.

Rajon Rondo added 21 points and 12 rebounds for the Lakers.

Danilo Gallinari and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 24 points each to lead the Thunder, who lost for just the second time in nine games.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Thunder pulls away for win over Trail Blazers

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander recorded 21 points and nine rebounds and Dennis Schroder also scored 21 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder posted a stunning 108-96 victory over the host Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday night.

Chris Paul added 20 points and Nerlens Noel had 13 points and 12 rebounds as the Thunder won for the fifth time in the past seven games. Danilo Gallinari had 12 points for Oklahoma City.

Damian Lillard scored 26 points but was a woeful 8 of 24 from the field, including 2 of 12 from 3-point range. CJ McCollum added 20 points and Hassan Whiteside recorded 14 points, 10 rebounds and five blocked shot for Portland, which has lost three of its last four games.

The Trail Blazers were just 7 of 24 from the field in the fourth quarter while being outscored 26-18.

Overall, Portland shot just 36 percent from the field and was 9 of 33 from behind the arc.

The Thunder shot 41.2 percent from the field, including 11 of 32 from 3-point range.

Gilgeous-Alexander scored five straight on a 3-pointer and a driving hoop to give Oklahoma City a 100-89 lead with 3:13 remaining.

McCollum drove for a layup with 2:31 left but Steven Adams made two free throws and Gilgeous-Alexander hit three of four as the Thunder increased the lead to 105-91 with 1:28 left. Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts then cleared his bench.

Oklahoma City led by 11 points early in the third quarter before Portland used an 11-2 burst to move within 62-60.

A short time later, Lillard made all three free throws after being fouled while shooting from behind the arc to give the Trail Blazers a 66-65 edge with 5:24 remaining. Lillard scored 16 points in the quarter.

The Thunder received a three-point play from Noel with 19.3 seconds remaining to take an 82-78 lead into the final stanza.

Paul scored 16 first-half points as the Thunder led, 55-47, at the break.

Schroder tallied 11 points during a 16-2 burst that saw Oklahoma City take a 49-31 advantage with 4:43 left.

The Trail Blazers responded with their own 16-2 surge to move within four points before the Thunder scored the final four points of the half.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Lakers complete home-and-home sweep of Thunder

Anthony Davis scored 33 points, including a 4-point play late in the fourth quarter, and LeBron James added 23 points and 14 assists as the visiting Los Angeles Lakers held off the Oklahoma City Thunder 130-127 on Friday.

It was the Lakers' second victory over the Thunder in a span of three days, as they earned a tightly contested 112-107 decision Tuesday at Los Angeles.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 17 points, and Danny Green added 14 as the Lakers won their sixth consecutive game and earned a 13th victory in their past 14 contests.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 24 points and Steven Adams added 22 for the Thunder, who lost its third consecutive game and fell for the fifth time in their past six games.

Chris Paul added 18 points and seven assists for Oklahoma City, which tied a season high in points.

James has delivered double-digit assists in each of his past seven games, and he leads the league with an average of 11.3 assists per game. Davis was also in the giving mood.

His assist total was two short of his career high, and he also had 11 rebounds. The Lakers had a 45-37 rebounding advantage.

Paul made a layup with 11 seconds remaining to get the Thunder to within 126-125 before Anthony made a pair of free throws to put the Lakers up by three with 8.1 seconds remaining.

Gilgeous-Alexander scored inside with 4.2 seconds to go before two more free throws from Davis gave the Lakers another three-point lead. James then stole the Thunder's inbound pass to end the game.

Lakers guard Rajon Rondo notched his 7,000th career assist in the first half, but he was ejected with 10:20 remaining when he earned his second technical for a flagrant-2 foul when he lifted his right let into the groin area of Thunder guard Dennis Schroder.

On a night short on defense, both teams took advantage. The Lakers shot 51.1 percent from the field and 54.8 percent from 3-point range. The Thunder shot 52.7 percent from the field.

Known for their defense, the Lakers entered holding their opponents to 42.7 percent on the season, sixth best in the NBA.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Streaking Lakers down Thunder, as OKC road woes continue

Anthony Davis scored 34 points and LeBron James added a triple-double as the Los Angeles Lakers held to extend their winning streak to five games with a 112-107 victory over the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday.

James finished with 25 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists to give him his fifth triple-double of the season and first in his career against the Thunder. He became the first player in NBA history to record a triple-double against every team.

Davis shot 13 of 24 from the field to break out of a mini slump. He was held under 20 points in each of his previous two games, including a 14-point performance Sunday against the Atlanta Hawks.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 13 points, including a 3-pointer with 55.3 seconds remaining to put the Lakers up 112-107 after the Thunder had scrambled back to within two points after a late 9-0 run.

Rajon Rondo dished out 10 assists for the Lakers, nine of which came in the first half. James reached double digits in assists for the sixth consecutive game and for the 11th time this season. He leads the NBA with an average of 11.1 assists per game.

Dennis Schroder scored 31 points and Danilo Gallinari added 25 for Oklahoma City. The Thunder lost for the fourth time in their past five games, including back-to-back defeats at Los Angeles, as they fell 90-88 to the Clippers on Monday. Oklahoma is 0-6 on the road this season.

Schroder's offensive outburst had the Thunder within 90-87 near the end of the third quarter. The seventh-year guard had already reached his season high in scoring before the start of the final quarter.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 16 points for Oklahoma City while Nerlens Noel added 15. Chris Paul had 10 assists for the Thunder but was held to just four points on 1-of-7 shooting.

The Lakers, who improved to 8-1 at home, next head out on a four-game trip. The Thunder will get another crack at Los Angeles in a game at Oklahoma City on Friday.

The Lakers' Kyle Kuzma played just nine minutes after he took a finger to the right eye in the second quarter from the Thunder's Darius Bazley, drawing blood. Kuzma watched the second half from the bench.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Thunder's George undergoes second shoulder surgery

MVP finalist Paul George of the Oklahoma City Thunder underwent left shoulder surgery on Tuesday to repair a small tear in his labrum, the team announced.

The surgery comes five weeks after George underwent right shoulder surgery to repair a partially torn tendon.

George had a sore right shoulder down the stretch of the season after injuring it against the Denver Nuggets on Feb. 26, causing him to miss three games.

He aggravated the ailment against the Houston Rockets on April 9 and sat out the regular-season finale before returning for the beginning of the postseason.

When the team announced on May 7 that George had undergone surgery on the right shoulder, it said the 29-year-old also would undergo surgery on his left shoulder and that his status would be determined before the start of the regular season.

George, who is also a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year, established career-best averages of 28 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.2 steals while sinking a career-high 292 3-pointers in 77 games this season. He also matched his career high of 4.1 assists per game.

Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks and James Harden of the Rockets are the other MVP finalists.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Thunder earns No. 6 seed in West with win over Bucks

Dennis Schroder scored 32 points to help the Oklahoma City Thunder earn the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference with a 127-116 win at the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night.

The Bucks, who had already sealed the top seed in the Eastern Conference coming into the game, sat three starters -- Giannis Antetokounmpo, Eric Bledsoe and Brook Lopez -- to rest them for the playoffs.

While the Bucks had little to play for in the regular-season finale, the Thunder had plenty at stake coming into the game, with their playoff spot to be decided between the sixth, seventh and eighth seeds.

The Thunder took care of that, taking control of the game with 39 points in the second quarter and then maintaining that lead the rest of the way. That quarter included a 16-0 run that featured four 3-pointers.

Playing without Paul George, who hit a game-winning shot the night before against Houston, the Thunder leaned heavily on the 3-pointer with Schroder in the starting lineup in George's place and the Bucks spending much of the game in a zone defense.

Oklahoma City hit a franchise-high 23 3-pointers.

Schroder hit a career-high eight 3-pointers, going 8 of 15 from long distance.

While the Thunder did create much of their offense on the perimeter, they also relied heavily on ball movement. They set a franchise record with 39 assists.

Russell Westbrook finished with 15 points, 11 rebounds and 17 assists for his fifth triple-double in six games. He tied Magic Johnson for second all-time in career triple-doubles with his 138th.

Jerami Grant had a career-high 28 points for Oklahoma City.

George missed the game with right shoulder soreness after aggravating an earlier injury in Tuesday's win. George has also battled a sore left shoulder over the last two months.

Tim Frazier, making just his second start with the Bucks, had a career-high 29 points, making 4 of 6 from behind the arc. Bonzie Colson and Khris Middleton scored 21 each for Milwaukee.

Milwaukee will start the playoffs against either Detroit or Orlando.

The Thunder will open the playoffs against Portland, Houston or Denver.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Westbrook seals triple-double average as Thunder top Pistons

Paul George scored 30 points and Russell Westbrook sealed his third consecutive season averaging a triple-double as the host Oklahoma City Thunder posted a 123-110 win over the Detroit Pistons on Friday.

The game was critical to both teams' playoff positioning, and it was the Thunder who came out ahead, winning for the second consecutive game and the fourth time in seven games.

The Thunder (46-33) remain in seventh place in the Western Conference, a half-game ahead of the San Antonio Spurs, who also won Friday.

The Pistons (39-40) lost for the third consecutive game and for the sixth time in their past eight. Detroit fell into a tie for seventh in the Eastern Conference with the Brooklyn Nets, just a game ahead of the ninth-place Miami Heat.

George was 4 of 7 from behind the 3-point arc.

Westbrook finished with 19 points, eight rebounds and 15 assists a game after recording the second-ever 20-20-20 game in league history. Jerami Grant also scored 19 for Oklahoma City.

The Thunder won despite a monster game from Blake Griffin, who had missed the previous three contests due to knee soreness.

Griffin finished with 45 points, making a career-high nine 3-pointers in his home state. He was 9 of 14 from behind the 3-point arc.

Griffin scored 31 of his points in the first half.

It took just four Thunder possessions for Westbrook to pick up three assists and seal his triple-double season average. Westbrook is the only player to accomplish the feat in back-to-back seasons.

Westbrook will also finish as the league's leader in assists for the third consecutive season.

In the second quarter, Westbrook was called for a flagrant foul on Zaza Pachulia after the Detroit center received a pass under the basket.

Westbrook swatted hard and connected with Pachulia's head as the latter went up for a shot. Pachulia remained on the ground for several moments.

It was not the first run-in between the two.

Last season when Pachulia was a member of the Golden State Warriors, Westbrook accused Pachulia of deliberately trying to hurt him after Pachulia fell on top of Westbrook.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Thunder’s George hits last-second shot to beat Jazz in 2 OTs

Paul George scored 45 points, including a floater with less than a second left in the second overtime, to lift the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 148-147 win over the visiting Utah Jazz on Friday night.

With Russell Westbrook having fouled out in the first overtime, George had to put the game on his shoulders and he came up big, grabbing a rebound off Joe Ingles' missed shot with 10 seconds left and keeping the ball until he drove into the lane before releasing the high floater that went cleanly through the net.


The win was the Thunder's 12th in 14 games while Utah lost for the second consecutive game.

Westbrook's NBA record streak of 11 consecutive triple-doubles came to an end officially in overtime when he was called for his sixth foul on a charge with 1:09 remaining. Westbrook finished with 43 points, 15 rebounds and 8 assists.

Though Westbrook fell short of another triple-double, he was 15 of 29 from the field and hit a season-high 6 3-pointers.

Donovan Mitchell led Utah with 38 points, going 14 of 35 from the field.

Utah led by 10 in the fourth quarter before the Thunder turned up the pressure defensively and used it to get back in the game.

Oklahoma City outscored Utah 11-0 off turnovers in the fourth quarter.

George tied it with a 3-pointer with 1:24 remaining and the teams traded baskets for the rest of regulation.

Ricky Rubio's 3-pointer gave the Jazz the lead again with 31.5 seconds remaining.

Without a timeout, the Thunder pushed the ball up the court as Westbrook dished to Jerami Grant underneath the basket for the layup as he was fouled. 

Grant made the free throw to tie the score again, then blocked a shot at the other end to give Oklahoma City a chance to win in regulation but Westbrook's pull-up missed the mark and the game went to overtime.

Utah outrebounded Oklahoma City 60-43 with Rudy Gobert adding 26 points and 16 rebounds.

The win clinched the season series for the Thunder, who have won the first three meetings with the Jazz this season.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: George, Westbrook propel Thunder past Blazers

Paul George had a 47-point triple-double, and Russell Westbrook set an NBA record for consecutive triple-doubles as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the visiting Portland Trail Blazers 120-111 on Monday night.

George's 3-pointer with 3:52 to play came on the 10th assist by Westbrook, who clinched his 10th consecutive triple-double. Westbrook finished with 21 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists.

Going into the game, Westbrook and Wilt Chamberlain were the only players in NBA history with nine consecutive triple-doubles. Chamberlain set the mark in 1968.

However, it was George who drew "MVP" chants as the game wound down, as he contributed 12 rebounds and 10 assists to go along with his point tally. George has scored 92 points over the last two games.

It was George's third career triple-double and his first since 2014. He capped off the triple-double in the final minute with a pass to Westbrook for a 3-pointer, the last of treys for Oklahoma City.

The win was the fourth consecutive and 11th in 12 games for the Thunder. It also clinched the season series for Oklahoma City, which is 3-0 with one meeting left.

The Trail Blazers took their third loss in four games.

Damian Lillard led Portland with 31 points, making 8 of 12 from the field in the second half as the Trail Blazers cut what was a 20-point deficit down to as little as five.

Oklahoma City was short-handed, playing without starting forward Jerami Grant and backup point guard Dennis Schroder. Grant missed the game after sustaining a right ankle sprain late in the Thunder's win at Houston on Saturday. Schroder missed the game due to a personal issue.

The players who took over the majority of the missing regulars' minutes had a big impact early.

Raymond Felton, playing in Schroder's role and appearing in a game for the first time since Dec. 30, scored 15 first-half points on 6-of-7 shooting. Felton had not scored more than 12 points all season. He missed all three of his second-half shots and did not score after the break.

Deonte Burton, a rookie getting added playing time off the bench with Grant out, scored a season-high 18 points. His previous best was 11 points, and he hadn't scored a point since Dec. 3.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: George's 45 tops Harden's 42 as Thunder eke out win

Paul George outgunned James Harden in a matchup of MVP candidates, and the Oklahoma City Thunder erased a 26-point deficit to escape with a 117-112 win over the host Houston Rockets on Saturday.

George finished with a game-high 45 points plus 11 rebounds, torching the Houston defense with six 3-pointers plus 15-for-18 free throws.

George's four free throws inside the final four seconds sealed the win after Russell Westbrook slipped through the defense to convert a layup and give the Thunder the lead for good at 113-112 with 26.9 seconds left.

Westbrook matched an NBA record set by Wilt Chamberlain with his ninth consecutive triple-double: 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists. The Thunder posted a 53-39 edge on the glass.

Harden totaled 42 points, his 29th consecutive game with at least 30, but he missed a contested 3-pointer after Westbrook pushed the Thunder ahead.

Chris Paul nearly posted a triple-double (18 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists) in his strongest performance since his return from a hamstring injury.

The Thunder matched the Rockets' 42-point second quarter with a 42-point third period, keyed by 7-for-12 3-point shooting. After committing just two turnovers in the first half, the Rockets had six in the third quarter and collapsed with 1-for-9 shooting from behind the arc.

Still, the Rockets led 86-79 before Thunder guard Dennis Schroder closed the frame with 11 consecutive points to pull Oklahoma City even at 90-all entering the fourth. Less than three minutes into the final frame, the Thunder led 98-92, and the Rockets were left scrambling.

Two runs sparked the Rockets' run to their 26-point lead in the first half.

Westbrook pulled the Thunder even with a midrange bank shot at the 1:47 mark of the first quarter before Houston bridged the opening two frames with an 11-0 burst that featured treys from Iman Shumpert, making his Rockets debut, Gerald Green, and Austin Rivers.

When Paul capped that rally with a midrange jumper, the Rockets led 36-25, and Oklahoma City struggled to build momentum against its lackadaisical ball security and the Rockets' perimeter shooting.

Houston had pushed its lead to 58-42 despite a mini-surge from Westbrook before landing what appeared to be a devastating blow: a 10-0 run that included 3-pointers from Paul and Harden plus three Harden free throws after Paul converted a technical assessed against George for protesting a call.

The Rockets were 12 of 24 from deep late in the first half before missing five consecutive 3-pointers, leave the door ajar for a comeback.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Westbrook's 8th straight triple-double lifts Thunder

Paul George scored 27 points, and Russell Westbrook recorded his eighth consecutive triple-double as the host Oklahoma City Thunder overwhelmed the Memphis Grizzlies in the second half en route to a 117-95 win.

The win was the Thunder's ninth in 10 games and their fifth consecutive at home.

Memphis, playing with a short bench, had its two-game winning streak snapped.

Westbrook had 15 points, 15 assists and 13 rebounds to keep the triple-double streak alive. He clinched the triple-double with 4:30 remaining in the third quarter when he made a put-back shot.

He became just the second player in NBA history with eight consecutive triple-doubles. Wilt Chamberlain holds the NBA record with nine consecutive triple-doubles in 1968.

Memphis had just nine players dressed for the game after trading four players earlier in the day, including longtime standout Marc Gasol, who had played all of his 11 NBA seasons in Memphis before being dealt to the Toronto Raptors.

The Grizzlies also had entertained trade talks concerning Mike Conley, another Memphis staple, but Conley stayed put through the trade deadline. Conley struggled against the Thunder, though, scoring 15 points but making just 4 of 15 shots from the floor.

Jaren Jackson Jr. led the Grizzlies with 27 points.

Memphis had success early, building a nine-point lead early in the second quarter thanks to a zone defense that forced Oklahoma City to rely heavily on the outside shot.

The Thunder hit enough 3-pointers to stay in the game, briefly possessing their own nine-point lead in the second quarter before the Grizzlies took a two-point lead into the break.

Of Oklahoma City's 40 first-half shots, 28 came from behind the 3-point arc. The Thunder finished 17 of 44 on 3-point attempts, with George going 6 of 13.

The Thunder quickly took control in the third quarter, outscoring Memphis 32-19 in the period to start to put the game away.

A big part of that was the Thunder's ability to score on the inside. After struggling in the paint in the first half -- thanks in part to center Steven Adams being limited to six minutes with foul trouble -- Oklahoma City got to the rim regularly after the break.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: George, Westbrook rally Thunder past Magic

Paul George scored 39 points, and Russell Westbrook's triple-double streak continued as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Orlando Magic 132-122 at home Tuesday night.

The Thunder took control of the game with a 36-point third quarter, then held on late to win for the eighth time in the last nine games.

Orlando's two-game winning streak was snapped, and the Magic have lost eight of their last 11 games.

Orlando led by 12 early in the third quarter, but from there the Thunder outscored the Magic 31-13 over the final nine minutes of the quarter and led 111-97 three minutes into the fourth.

The Magic didn't go away quietly, though, cutting the lead to as little as five with less than five minutes remaining, but couldn't get any closer.

Westbrook finished with 16 points, 15 rebounds and 16 assists, clinching his seventh consecutive triple-double by the end of the third quarter.

It's the third such streak in Westbrook's career. Only Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan have had at least seven consecutive triple-doubles. 

Robertson holds the NBA record with nine consecutive triple-doubles.

It was the sixth time in the last seven games that George has scored 36 or more points. Oklahoma City had seven players score in double figures for the second time this season.

Backup point guard Dennis Schroder had 20 points while Jerami Grant had 19 points and 11 rebounds.

The Thunder shot 50 percent (46 of 92) from the floor and hit 13 3-pointers, including six from George.

Terrence Ross had 26 points off the bench to lead Orlando while Evan Fournier added 25. Aaron Gordon had 18 points and 10 assists.

Before the game, the Magic announced rookie center Mohamed Bamba would miss significant time with a stress fracture in his left tibia. Bamba will not undergo surgery as the team hopes he'll respond to rest, treatment and rehabilitation.

Bamba did not travel with the team to Oklahoma City and missed his second consecutive game. He's averaging 6.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.36 blocks, fourth in the NBA among rookies.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: George lights up Heat for 43 on 10 treys as Thunder roll

Paul George scored a game-high 43 points, Russell Westbrook posted his 18th triple-double, and the Oklahoma City Thunder continued their offensive surge in a 118-102 rout of host Miami Heat on Friday.

George (26 points) and reserve guard Dennis Schroder (24) combined for 50 in the first two quarters as the Heat allowed their second-most points in a half, narrowly outscoring the sharp-shooting duo by just three.

George connected on a career-high 10 3-pointers, and Schroder scored 28 in 29 minutes off the bench for the Thunder, who won their seventh consecutive overall and sixth straight against Miami.

Westbrook notched 14 points, 14 assists and 12 rebounds in his fifth triple-double in a row, and Steven Adams had 13 points.

Miami's Kelly Olynyk tallied 21 points and Josh Richardson had 18. Hassan Whiteside had 12 points and 16 rebounds for the Heat, who lost their second straight overall and have dropped four of the last six.

Oklahoma City averaged a franchise-record 120.6 points per game in January and the offensive juggernaut was on full display from the opening tip in the first meeting between the two teams.

In a fast-paced first quarter, the Thunder raced out on a 12-2 run less than five minutes into the game behind the versatile scoring of George and Adams as the club led 18-11.

The Thunder led 31-24 behind 16 points from George as the six-time All-Star made 6 of 8 field goals, including 3-for-3 from beyond the arc.

Schroder came off the bench to replace Westbrook in the second quarter and immediately became as big of a nuisance to the Heat as George. The backup scored seven points as the Thunder built a 17-point lead by scoring 12 unanswered points early in the quarter.

Schroder followed up George's 16-point first quarter with 24 of his own in the second -- his career high for any single period -- as Oklahoma City shot 58.3 percent from the floor, led by as many as 23 and held a 72-53 halftime edge.

Miami cut the deficit to 15 early in the second half after a layup by Whiteside, but Patrick Patterson's 3-pointer gave the Thunder a 94-74 lead after three, and they cruised in the final quarter with reserves on the floor.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: George's 36 lead Thunder past Bucks

Paul George scored 36 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 118-112 home win over the visiting Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday.

The Thunder led by as many as 19 in the second half but the Bucks cut the lead to seven with nine consecutive points -- all on 3-pointers -- late in the third quarter before briefly cutting the lead to six.

But then George, who scored 21 points in the first half, sank a 3-pointer in the final minute to help cool off Milwaukee's run. Dennis Schroder followed with another long 3-pointer to give the Thunder a double-digit lead going into the fourth.

George hit a season-high eight 3-pointers as Oklahoma City hit 16 from behind the arc.

The Thunder have won five consecutive games, sweeping their three-game homestand that also included wins over New Orleans and Portland.

Russell Westbrook had a triple-double in all three games of the homestand, finishing with 13 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists. Six Thunder players scored in double figures.

Oklahoma City was just 14 of 25 from the free-throw line.

The loss snapped a six-game winning streak for Milwaukee, which was playing the first of five consecutive games away from home.

Oklahoma City's Steven Adams was knocked out of the game with a right ankle sprain near the end of the first quarter. Adams went to the locker room but returned with just less than three minutes remaining before half.

After halftime, with Oklahoma City's defense struggling as Milwaukee adjusted, Adams helped keep the Thunder ahead, scoring 10 points in the first four-plus minutes of the third quarter.

The Thunder made life miserable for Giannis Antetokounmpo early, as the All-Star missed all six of his first-half field goals, scoring just three points before intermission, all at the free-throw line.

But Antetokounmpo scored 24 second-half points to lead Milwaukee with 27. Khris Middleton added 22. Antetokounmpo also had 18 rebounds.

The Bucks jumped out to a big lead early, scoring the game's initial eight points over the first two-plus minutes. From there, though, the Thunder outscored Milwaukee 31-17 over the last 9:27 of the quarter to take control.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Westbrook's triple-double carries Thunder past Pelicans

Russell Westbrook scored 23 points and recorded his second consecutive triple-double as the host Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 122-116 on Thursday night.

Westbrook added 17 rebounds and 16 assists, sealing his league-leading 15th triple-double of the season less than two minutes into the second half. The Thunder are now 6-0 all-time when Westbrook has at least 15 points, rebounds and assists.

On Tuesday, Westbrook recorded 29 points, 14 assists and 10 boards against the Portland Trail Blazers.

The win was the Thunder's fourth in a row. The Pelicans have lost four of five.

Oklahoma City took the lead for good midway through the second quarter and then steadily built their edge through the next quarter and a half before New Orleans made its run.

By the time 3:13 had passed in the second half, the Thunder were on top by 22. But then the Pelicans started chipping away, repeatedly cutting the deficit to seven in the fourth quarter.

New Orleans trimmed the margin to five with 2:10 remaining on a Jrue Holiday 3-pointer, but the Thunder immediately answered with a Paul George 3-pointer.

George, who earlier in the day was named an All-Star starter for the third time in his career, finished with 23 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. Steven Adams added 20 points and 13 rebounds as the Thunder outrebounded New Orleans by 16.

George shot 6 of 10 from behind the 3-point arc, helping Oklahoma City hit 14 of 32 3-point attempts.

Holliday led the Pelicans with 22 points while Darius Miller added 21. Holliday also had 13 assists and nine rebounds.

Oklahoma City, who has scored 116 or more points in 10 consecutive games, finished with 33 assists, one off its season-high.

New Orleans was not only without Anthony Davis, who missed his third consecutive game with a finger injury, but three other regular rotation players.

Nikola Mirotic, who sustained a calf strain late in the Pelicans' Wednesday loss to Detroit, will miss at least a week. Julius Randle sat out the game with a right ankle sprain, and E'Twaun Moore missed the game for rest.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Schroder's big second half leads Thunder past Spurs

Dennis Schroder scored all 19 of his points in the second half as the Oklahoma City Thunder picked up a come-from-behind 122-112 victory over the San Antonio Spurs at home Saturday.

The win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Thunder. It was just San Antonio's second loss in its last eight games.

After trailing by nine at halftime, the Thunder took control in the third quarter, outscoring the Spurs 35-20.

Schroder scored the final seven Thunder points of the quarter to help Oklahoma City lead going into the fourth. Schroder kept up his strong play, most noticeably with his steal with just more than five minutes remaining.

Schroder jumped into a passing lane, grabbed the ball and raced upcourt, passing the ball between his legs to Russell Westbrook for a layup that put the Thunder up by 12.

The bucket was two of 18 fast-break points for Oklahoma City after halftime.

Schroder also added six assists and four steals with no turnovers.

Westbrook led the Thunder with 24 points and 10 rebounds, and Paul George finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds.

Westbrook was 8 of 15 from the field in the second half after going just 1 for 9 with four points before the break.

But it was Oklahoma City's bench that played the biggest role in helping the Thunder break out of their slump.

Schroder was one of three Thunder reserves with at least 13 points, and they combined for 47 of the team's 48 off the bench. Abdel Nader had 15 points and Patrick Patterson 13.

The Thunder scored 21 points off 14 San Antonio turnovers while only turning the ball over seven times.

Marco Belinelli had a season-high 24 points off the bench to lead San Antonio. DeMar DeRozan added 18, while LaMarcus Aldridge, coming off a 56-point performance in Thursday's 154-147 double-overtime win over the Thunder in San Antonio, scored 17 points.

Two nights after going 16 of 19 from behind the 3-point line, San Antonio struggled from behind the arc in the return game of the home-and-home. 

The Spurs were just 10 of 31 from behind the arc.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

George pumps in 37 as Thunder top Lakers

Paul George scored 37 points to lead the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder to a 107-100 win against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday.

George, who picked up three fouls in first 3:12 of first quarter, scored 20 points in the second half.

Russell Westbrook finished with 14 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists for his NBA-leading 11th triple-double, but he shot 3-for-20 from the floor. Westbrook, who shot 38.6 percent in December, missed his first seven field-goal attempts.

Steven Adams had 14 points and 15 rebounds, eight on the offensive end, and Jerami Grant scored 13 for the Thunder, who have won three of four.

Lakers reserve Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who came in averaging 9.8 points, scored 18 of his 25 points in the first half. He scored a season-high 26 in a 121-114 win on Sunday against the Sacramento Kings.

Caldwell-Pope started the second half after Lakers second-leading scorer Kyle Kuzma (18.7 points per game) sustained a lower-back contusion in the second quarter. Kuzma did not return.

The Lakers were already playing their fourth game without LeBron James, who leads the team in scoring, rebounding and assists. James sustained a groin injury in a Christmas night game against the Golden State Warriors.

Los Angeles' Brandon Ingram had 17 points and a season-high 11 rebounds. JaVale McGee scored 15 points, and Josh Hart had 13 points and a career-high 15 rebounds for the Lakers, who have dropped three of four.

The Lakers led by four to start the fourth quarter, but an 11-0 run sparked by the Thunder reserves and a 6:21 stretch without a field goal by Los Angeles helped Oklahoma City take its biggest lead to that point, 91-85, with 6:31 remaining.

The Lakers got as close as two with 4:36 left but couldn't pull any closer as the Thunder followed with a 12-3 run.

Neither team led by more than six points through the first three quarters.

The Thunder missed their final nine field-goal attempts of the third quarter to allow the Lakers to take a 82-78 lead into the fourth.

The next seven opponents for Lakers, starting with a visit from the New York Knicks on Friday, have a record of under .500. The Thunder play at Portland on Friday.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Westbrook carries George-less Thunder past Suns

Russell Westbrook recorded 40 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 118-102 victory over the host Phoenix Suns on Friday night.

Dennis Schroder scored 14 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter as the Thunder prevailed without star forward Paul George (quadriceps). It marked the first game George has missed this season.

Abdel Nader scored a career-best 18 points off the bench for Oklahoma City, which halted a two-game slide. Steven Adams registered 12 points and 13 rebounds, and Jerami Grant had 12 points and eight rebounds.

Devin Booker contributed 25 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds for the Suns, who had won five of their previous seven games.

T.J. Warren scored 19 points, Deandre Ayton had 16 points and nine rebounds, and Mikal Bridges scored 13 points as Phoenix fell in the opener of a seven-game homestand.

Oklahoma City made 15 of 19 field-goal attempts in the fourth quarter to finish at 53.7 percent. The Thunder were 7 of 20 from 3-point range.

The Suns shot 43.3 percent from the field and hit 9 of 29 from behind the arc.

The Thunder dominated the fourth quarter by a 37-18 margin to turn a three-point deficit into a 16-point win.

Schroder opened the final stanza with consecutive baskets to give Oklahoma City an 85-84 lead. He added two 3-pointers and two free throws over the ensuing three-plus minutes to boost the Thunder's margin to nine.

Westbrook drained a 3-pointer to give Oklahoma City a 102-88 lead with 6:09 left. Westbrook later converted back-to-back baskets, and Schroder followed with a layup to push the margin to 112-95 with 3:45 remaining before the Thunder cruised to the finish.

Westbrook was hunting for shots in the opening quarter as he connected on 7 of 8 while scoring 15 points. The Thunder shot 64 percent from the field and led 36-29 after 12 minutes.

Oklahoma City led by eight two minutes into the second quarter before Phoenix went on a 16-4 run. Bridges capped the burst with a jumper to give the Suns a 51-47 edge with 5:22 left.

The Thunder took a 58-57 advantage into the break.

Warren knocked down a 3-pointer to give the Suns an 82-77 lead with 2:03 left in the third quarter before Phoenix took an 84-81 edge into the final stanza.

source: news.abs-cbn.com