Thunder survive late rally to score win over stuttering Lakers

OKLAHOMA CITY — In a reversal of roles, Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers know they're the predators trying to track down Kevin Durant's Oklahoma City Thunder.

They have some work to do.

Durant had 36 points, Russell Westbrook scored 27 of his 33 in the first half to stake Oklahoma City to a commanding lead and the Thunder beat the short-handed Lakers 114-108 Friday night.

"They're a team that everybody likes. As a young team coming up, you always want to beat the best," Westbrook said. "I think that's one of the things that motivates us."

Bryant had 35 points for Los Angeles, which trailed by as many as 19 before rallying to get within four in the final minute.

Dwight Howard added 23 points and 18 rebounds for the Lakers, who were eliminated by the Thunder in five games in last season's Western Conference semifinals. Howard and Steve Nash were part of an offseason overhaul to try and catch up to the Thunder.

Instead, the Lakers are 9-11 and focusing on small gains that give them the belief they'll eventually turn it around.

"It's 82 games. This team has just gotten together," Howard said. "It's not like we're going to get together and start winning right away. . . . We're learning how to play together. We're getting better. This is not on anybody's timetable but ours."

Grizzlies 96, Hornets 89

In New Orleans, Rudy Gay tied a season high with 28 points and the Grizzlies maintained their NBA-best winning percentage with their second-straight victory.

76ers 95, Celtics 94 (OT)

In Philadelphia, Evan Turner had 26 points and 10 rebounds and Thaddeus Young added 17 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Sixers past Boston in overtime.

Nuggets 92, Pacers 89

In Indianapolis, Andre Miller scored eight of his 15 points during a late 10-0 spurt.

Bulls 108, Pistons 104

In Auburn Hills, Michigan, Joakim Noah had career highs of 30 points and 23 rebounds, to help Chicago beat Detroit for the 16th straight time.

Spurs 114, Rockets 92

In San Antonio, Tony Parker had 17 points and seven assists, and the Spurs never trailed in a win over Houston.

Warriors 109, Nets 102

In New York, David Lee had 30 points and 15 rebounds, Stephen Curry scored 28 points, and Golden State gave coach Mark Jackson a winning return to Brooklyn.

Timberwolves 91, Cavaliers 73

In Minneapolis, Kevin Love had 36 points and 13 rebounds to lead Minnesota past Cleveland.

Luke Ridnour had 12 points, seven assists and five rebounds for the Timberwolves, and Andrei Kirilenko had eight points, seven rebounds and six assists after missing the previous four games with back spasms.

Hawks 104, Wizards 95

In Atlanta, Josh Smith had 23 points and 15 rebounds, Al Horford also posted a double-double and the Hawks beat Washington to keep the Wizards winless on the road.

Bucks 108, Bobcats 93

In Milwaukee, Ersan Ilyasova scored a season-high 21 points and Marquis Daniels had season highs with 18 points and six rebounds.

Jazz 131, Raptors 99

In Salt Lake City, Paul Millsap scored 20 points, Enes Kanter had 18 in his first career start and Utah hit 13 3-pointers.

Kings 91, Magic 82

In Sacramento, DeMarcus Cousins had 17 points and 14 rebounds and reserve guard Isaiah Thomas also scored 17.

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Surging Thunder put Spurs on brink

SAN ANTONIO — Look who's unstoppable now.

Thunder storm: San Antonio's Manu Ginobili (left) keeps the ball away from Oklahoma City's Serge Ibaka on Monday. AP

Forget that incredible San Antonio streak of 20 straight wins. That's ancient history, and the way the Oklahoma City Thunder have taken complete command of the Western Conference finals, the Spurs might soon be finished themselves.

Kevin Durant scored 27 points and the Thunder are on the brink of the NBA Finals, beating the Spurs 108-103 in Game 5 on Monday night and going from an 0-2 hole to moving within a victory of a series knockout. Their first chance will be Wednesday night at home, where they haven't lost all season.

"We never thought we're supposed to wait our turn," Durant said. "Coach always emphasizes that with every opportunity that you step on the floor. It's a great opportunity to get better. To get to our dream."

Russell Westbrook added 23 and the Thunder took a 3-2 lead in a wildly entertaining Western Conference finals. Looking invincible while carrying a 20-game winning streak a week ago — the fourth-longest in NBA history — the Spurs have lost three straight and are on the verge of a stunning collapse.

Manu Ginobili scored 34 in a smashing return to the starting lineup, and the switch showed just how much San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich knew his team might be in trouble. The only way the Spurs would have considered it a success is had they won, and that chance went clanging off the back of the rim with 4.9 seconds left when Ginobili missed an off-balance 3.

Ginobili then walked to the scorer's table, made a fist and hammered it down.

"It wasn't a great shot, but it wasn't a bad one," Ginobili said. "It just didn't go in."

It was the Spurs' first loss at home since April 11.

Popovich said he removed Danny Green from the starting lineup and plugged in Ginobili — who had started only seven previous times this season — to give the Spurs "an energy boost." But that didn't solve a third straight uneven game for the Spurs, particularly another languid second quarter that put them in a 14-point deficit.

"If we don't get that straight," Popovich said, "it'll be over on Wednesday."

The Thunder, meanwhile, are bringing home just what they needed: the must-win on the road if they're going to pull this series out.

"That was a total team effort," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. "Everybody did their job. I thought we played as hard as we can play."

Oklahoma City pulled it off behind its stars. James Harden scored 20, joining Durant and Westbrook as the only Thunder players in double figures.

Harden hit the biggest shot, draining a 3-pointer with 28.8 seconds left that pushed Oklahoma City's lead to five. He admitted afterward that the ball was supposed to go to Durant but had no choice but to let go with the shot clock winding down and Spurs rookie Kawhi Leonard in his face.

"The shot clock was running down and I had to make a play," Harden said. "Leonard was playing great defense on me. I just shot it with confidence. West Conference finals — that's a big shot."

Tony Parker had 20 points and Tim Duncan had 18 points and 12 rebounds for the Spurs.

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Thunder snap Spurs' win streak with rout

Taking flight: Thunder forward Kevin Durant attempts a shot over Spurs defenders Boris Diaw and Tim Duncan during Game 3 of the Western Conference finals on Thursday in Oklahoma City. The Thunder won 102-82. AP

OKLAHOMA CITY — The streak is over. The series may only be beginning.

Kevin Durant scored 22 points, Thabo Sefolosha set playoff career-bests with 19 points and six steals, and the Oklahoma City Thunder snapped San Antonio's 20-game winning streak by beating the Spurs 102-82 in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals on Thursday night.

Oklahoma City closed its series deficit to 2-1 and will host Game 4 on Saturday night.

"We never thought these guys had an advantage over us even though we had lost a few," Durant said. "It was just good that we took it to 2-1. We didn't want to go down 0-3."

Sefolosha threw a wrench in the Spurs' well-oiled offense at the start, getting four steals in the first 3 minutes. The Spurs ended up committing a postseason-worst 21 turnovers and scoring their least points all season.

San Antonio had been averaging 109.4 points during its month-and-a-half winning streak and had been held to double digits only twice.

"We just played a good basketball game," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. "We played with a lot of force, we played with good energy, but we played defensive-minded basketball.

"That's who we are. That's how we win."

Tony Parker and Stephen Jackson led the Spurs with 16 points apiece. Tim Duncan had 11 points on 5-for-15 shooting, taking 11 of San Antonio's first 25 shots as the offense went through the All-Star center instead of Parker.

"They played like it was a closeout game, both offensively and defensively," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "They were very active, physical, they moved the ball well on offense. They did all those things better than we did. They beat us good."

The Spurs, who already set an NBA record for the longest winning streak carried over from the regular season into the playoffs, were trying to match the league mark for most wins to start the postseason. The Lakers won 11 straight to start the 1989 and 2001 playoffs, getting swept in the NBA Finals the first time and winning it all the second.

The Spurs hadn't lost since April 11 against the Lakers at home.

"We are a prideful team. It's no fun being down 0-2. It's no fun," Brooks said. "But we weren't looking at the game thinking, 'Oh my gosh, we have a chance to be down 0-3.' We were looking at the game that we have a chance to be 1-2 after this game, and I give our guys a lot of credit. They believe in each other and they always play hard for each other."

Parker and Duncan didn't play in the final 15 minutes, and Popovich pulled the plug after a series of three straight turnovers allowed the deficit to reach 23 points early in the fourth quarter.

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Thunder take 2-0 lead with late run on Lakers

OKLAHOMA CITY — Even down late, the Oklahoma City Thunder are showing that they are never out.

Soft touch: Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant shoot over Los Angeles' Matt Barnes in the third quarter of Game 2 on Wednesday. The Thunder beat the Lakers 77-75 to take a 2-0 lead in the series. AP

Kevin Durant scored 22 points and rattled in the go-ahead basket on a baseline runner with 18 seconds left, and Oklahoma City scored the final nine points to rally for a 77-75 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals Wednesday night.

The Thunder trailed by seven with 2 minutes left before surging back with a series of defensive stops by its stars to claw back from that deficit in the closing stages of a game for the second time this postseason. Oklahoma City was also seven down with 2? minutes left in Game 1 against defending NBA champion Dallas in the first round.

"They won't quit. That's not in their DNA," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. "They're not wired that way and if they were, they wouldn't be here. We're not going to win every game but we're going to fight to the last second of the game and we did that tonight.

"If we would have gotten down on ourselves with 2 minutes to go, we would have lost by 12 and we would go to L.A. 1-1."

Instead, the Thunder take a 2-0 lead into Game 3 on Friday night at Staples Center.

Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum scored 20 points apiece for Los Angeles, which came up empty on its last six possessions after Bynum's hook shot made it 75-68 with 2:09 remaining.

After struggling throughout the second half and missing 20 of their first 27 shots, Oklahoma City suddenly came alive after Brooks called timeout following Bynum's basket that gave the Lakers their largest lead of the game.

James Harden drove for a layup before Durant used his height advantage to reach up and tip away a pass from Bryant, who he was guarding. Durant ran out for a right-handed dunk at the other end before Russell Westbrook forced another turnover by aggressively challenging an outlet pass to Bryant along the sideline.

Harden made the next stop, blocking Bryant's jumper on the next Lakers possession and getting a layup in transition off it to cut the deficit to one in the final minute.

Bryant couldn't connect again, this time on a 3-pointer, to give the Thunder the ball back with the chance to take the lead and Durant was able to make it happen.

"I wish it was my magical words. All I told the guys was, 'We're down 7. You don't have to play perfect basketball but we better come pretty close,'" Brooks said.

Steve Blake missed an open 3-pointer from the right side with about 5 seconds left after Metta World Peace couldn't get the ball to Bryant on the inbounds play.

Oklahoma City has won all nine of its series after leading 2-0, dating back to the franchise's days in Seattle.

Celtics 107, 76ers 91

In Philadelphia, Kevin Garnett scored 27 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, and used a dominant second quarter to help Boston beat the 76ers and take a 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Whistled for a costly illegal pick late in a Game 2 loss, Garnett crushed Philadelphia early and never let it think about a fourth-quarter rally.

Garnett scored 13 of Boston's 32 points in the second quarter and the Celtics became the first team to win by double digits. Game 1 and Game 2 were each decided by one point.

Rajon Rondo had 23 points and 14 assists. Paul Pierce, playing with a banged-up knee, had 24 points and 12 rebounds.

Game 4 is set for Friday in Philadelphia.

Thaddeus Young scored 22 points and Jrue Holiday had 15 for the 76ers. Lou Williams and Jodie Meeks each scored 13. Starters Elton Brand, Spencer Hawes and Evan Turner combined for only 11 points.

Philadelphia hadn't hosted a second-round game since 2003, when coach Larry Brown and All-Star Allen Iverson ruled the town. Julius Erving walked out to a roaring ovation when he presented the game ball.

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Thunder deal Celtics fifth straight loss

BOSTON — Russell Westbrook hit a 3-pointer and then shimmied his hands down his torso, bent his body at the knees and strutted down the sideline in celebration.

Fall back, baby: Dirk Nowitzki of the Mavericks puts up a fadeaway over Pau Gasol of the Lakers in the first half on Monday night. Los Angeles beat Dallas 73-70. AP

Just 39 seconds later — this time with less than a minute left in the game — he did it all over again.

Westbrook scored 26 points, including two of Oklahoma City's four 3-pointers in the final 2 minutes, to help the Thunder beat the slumping Boston Celtics 97-88 on Monday night. Kevin Durant scored 28 with seven rebounds for Oklahoma City, which won its seventh consecutive game.

"They started doubling K.D. later in the game," Westbrook said. "I just tried to be aggressive and find my open spots."

Paul Pierce scored 24 points, Kevin Garnett had 12 points and 12 rebounds and Jermaine O'Neal had 12 points and 11 boards for Boston. Rajon Rondo scored 12 points with nine rebounds and nine assists for Boston, which lost a fifth straight game for the first time in the New Big 3 era.

"None of us likes to lose; that's the frustrating part," Pierce said. "I think I like where we are headed, there are just little things that are really killing us."

After trailing by 10 points to start the fourth quarter, the Celtics cut the deficit to two before Durant hit a 3 that made it 81-76 with 4:42 left. Garnett made a pair of free throws, then Durant threw down a tomahawk dunk.

Oklahoma City then hit four 3-pointers in a row — one from Thabo Sefolosha, two from Westbrook and another from Sefolosha that made it 95-85 with 24 seconds left. The Thunder were 2-for-11 from 3-point range in the first three quarters and 5-for- 8 in the fourth.

Kendrick Perkins had seven points and five rebounds in his first game back in Boston since the trade that sent him to Oklahoma City and broke up the starting lineup from the Celtics' 2008 NBA championship team.

Lakers 73, Mavericks 70

In Los Angeles, Derek Fisher hit a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 3.1 seconds to play and the Lakers survived a dismal offensive game by both teams for a victory over Dallas, snapping the Mavs' five-game winning streak.

Vince Carter missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer for the defending champions, who swept Los Angeles out of the second round of the postseason last spring, ending the Lakers' bid for a three-peat.

Neither team looked much like a championship contender in their first meeting since, with 3? miserable offensive quarters before the exciting finish.

Fisher scored 13 points and led a 10-0 run midway through the fourth quarter, but the Mavericks rallied to tie it on Jason Terry's running jumper at the top of the key with 9.9 seconds left.

Kobe Bryant, whose streak of four straight 40-point games ended with just 14 with seven assists against the Mavs, drew the Dallas defense before passing to Fisher. The veteran point guard calmly drilled a long 3-pointer from the wing.

Carter's desperation try was far off, and the Lakers celebrated their ninth consecutive home victory since Christmas.

Andrew Bynum had 17 points and 15 rebounds for Los Angeles, which has won six of seven overall despite barely scoring 70 points — the franchise low in the shot-clock era, set in November 2002.

76ers 94, Bucks 82

In Philadelphia, Jrue Holiday scored 24 points and Andre Iguodala had 21 to help the 76ers beat Milwaukee and remain unbeaten at home.

Magic 102, Knicks 93

In New York, Ryan Anderson scored a career-high 30 points, extending his NBA lead with seven 3-pointers, and Orlando completed a perfect four-game road trip.

Carmelo Anthony had 33 points and eight rebounds for the Knicks.

Clippers 101, Nets 91

In Los Angeles, Blake Griffin had 23 points and 14 rebounds and the Clippers beat New Jersey without injured point guard Chris Paul after blowing an 18-point lead.

Grizzlies 102, Bulls 86

In Memphis, Rudy Gay scored 24 points and Mike Conley added 20 points and eight assists to help the Grizzlies end short-handed Chicago's five-game winning streak.

Rockets 114, Wizards 106

In Washington, Kevin Martin scored 25 points, Samuel Dalembert added 20 and Houston broke away in the third quarter to beat the Wizards.

John Wall scored a career-high 38 points on 13 of 22 shooting for Washington. He began the game making under 35 percent this season.

Cavaliers 102, Bobcats 94

In Charlotte, Kyrie Irving had 25 points and seven assists to lead Cleveland.

Trail Blazers 84, Hornets 77

In New Orleans, LaMarcus Aldridge scored 22 points and Portland snapped a three-game skid.

Hawks 93, Raptors 84

In Atlanta, Josh Smith scored 28 points and pulled down a season-high 15 rebounds and Joe Johnson added 27 points to help the Hawks win their third straight game.

Timberwolves 99, Kings 86

In Minneapolis, Kevin Love had 33 points and 11 rebounds and Luke Ridnour added 25 points and nine assists to lead the hosts over Sacramento.

Forward Lawrence Blackledge has agreed to play for the Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix after his release from the Osaka Evessa last week, the two-time defending bj-league champion announced on Monday. The Japan Times first reported the move in last Friday's editions.

Blackledge, a Marquette University product, is the league's second-leading shot-blocker (3.0 per game). He's averaging 9.4 points in 22 games (all starts).

The Phoenix are 14-10, one game behind the Eastern Conference coleaders, the Niigata Albirex BB and Akita Northern Happinets.

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Thunder claim third win in as many nights

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma City Thunder became the first team to win three games in three nights during the NBA's condensed schedule this season, and they managed to make it look easy.

Bear trap: Grizzlies guard O.J. Mayo attempts a shot between Lakers defenders Pau Gasol (left) and Andrew Bynum on Sunday in Los Angeles. The Lakers won 90-82. AP

Kevin Durant had 21 points and 10 rebounds, reserve James Harden scored 20 and the Thunder rested their starters throughout the fourth quarter in a 108-96 victory against the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday.

"I just think the big thing was not to dwell on it and not make too much out of it. It's not sometimes as bad as people think," said Nick Collison, who had his first double-double by recording season bests of 12 points and 10 rebounds.

"I'm glad it happened earlier in the year. I think that was a positive but I think we all felt fine."

The Thunder were also able to rest their starters throughout the fourth quarter on the front end of the back-to-back-to-back after leading Houston by 21 through three.

This time, they outscored San Antonio 37-21 in the third to build a 22-point cushion.

"I knew our guys were going to compete and they were going to give everything they had for the three games. You were hoping that you could win them all," Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks said.

"Fortunately for us, we did."

The Spurs, already without Manu Ginobili because of a broken left hand, played without point guard Tony Parker after he came out of the game and walked to locker room midway through the third quarter. He returned to the bench a few minutes later, and a team spokesman said Parker was fine and could have played.

DeJuan Blair also pulled himself from the game after he cramped up just after halftime. He didn't come back either.

Gary Neal, who scored a team-high 18 points, would not let their absences be an excuse.

"I just think a couple turnovers here, and their athletes were able to get out and run the lane, and the score ballooned on us," Neal said.

Lakers 90, Grizzlies 82

In Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant scored 26 points, Andrew Bynum had 15 points and 15 rebounds, and the Lakers beat Memphis for their sixth consecutive home victory.

Matt Barnes scored 15 points and Pau Gasol had 13 points and 15 rebounds for the Lakers, who have won six of eight after an 0-2 start despite playing the NBA's busiest early-season schedule, matching Oklahoma City with 10 games in the first 15 days.

Although they haven't lost at Staples Center since their season opener on Christmas, the Lakers committed a season-high 27 turnovers and never pulled away from the injury-depleted Grizzlies. Memphis had beaten Los Angeles in two of the last three meetings, including a 19-point blowout in the Grizzlies' last trip to Staples.

Magic 104, Kings 97

In Sacramento, Jason Richardson scored a season-high 22 points, Glen Davis added a season-best 20 and Orlando beat the Kings despite playing much of the game without foul-plagued Dwight Howard.

The All-Star center had five points and four rebounds in 20 minutes and spent most of the first three quarters in foul trouble. He didn't get his first rebound until 4 minutes into the fourth and was scoreless before converting a three-point play with 6:35 remaining, putting the Magic ahead 87-85.

Tyreke Evans had a season-high 28 points and eight assists for the Kings. DeMarcus Cousins, also hampered by fouls, had 16 points and 10 rebounds.

Timberwolves 93, Wizards 72

In Washington, Kevin Love had 20 points and 16 rebounds and Ricky Rubio had 13 points and a career-high 14 assists to lead Minnesota past the winless Wizards.

Rubio also grabbed six rebounds and controlled the game during much of his 30 minutes off the bench. He entered with 1:30 remaining in the first quarter and quickly hit a 22-foot jumper to start a 17-2 run that gave Minnesota the lead for good.

Suns 109, Bucks 93

In Phoenix, Steve Nash had 17 assists and 10 points in 27 minutes as the Suns routed the weary Bucks.

The Suns beat the Bucks in Phoenix for the 24th straight time, the NBA's second-longest active streak behind San Antonio's 27 wins in a row at home over Golden State.

Trail Blazers 98, Cavaliers 78

In Portland, LaMarcus Aldridge had 28 points and eight rebounds, and the Trail Blazers got off to a slow start but pulled away to beat Cleveland.

Wesley Matthews added 24 points for the Trail Blazers, who led by as many as 24.

Kyrie Irving, the top pick in last June's NBA draft, had 21 points — 11 in the third quarter. Antawn Jamison, who was Cleveland's top scorer going into the game, made a 3-pointer for his only basket of the game.

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Durant nails winner; Thunder still perfect

OKLAHOMA CITY — Kevin Durant thought he might have just given away a victory and let the Dallas Mavericks steal another one in heartbreaking fashion.

Rolling Thunder: Kevin Durant attempts to drive past Mavericks guard Vince Carter on Thursday in Oklahoma City. Durant hit a 3-pointer as time expired to give the unbeaten Thunder a 104-102 triumph. AP

Then he found a way to take it right back.

Durant scored 30 points and hit a 3-pointer at the final buzzer to lift the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 104-102 win against Dallas on Thursday night in a rematch of last season's Western Conference finals.

"As a kid, of course you dream about hitting a game-winning shot in the NBA," said Durant, who has hit two other game-winners at the buzzer in his five seasons.

"It's a dream come true."

The Thunder let Dallas wipe away a five-point deficit in the final 46 seconds to go ahead on Vince Carter's 3-pointer with 1.4 seconds remaining. That was just enough time for Thabo Sefolosha to get the ball to Durant, who drilled a 3 from the right wing that improved his team to 4-0.

"It was crazy, a crazy course of events," Durant said. "When two tough teams always go at it, it always comes down to the last play."

Dirk Nowitzki had 29 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Mavericks, whose title defense is off to a 0-3 start. Dallas had been blown out in its first two losses against Miami and Denver before letting a close one slip away.

"I think the more we go out and just play the game itself more, good things happen on the court," Mavs forward Shawn Marion said.

"We've got to just go out there and stop worrying about other things and just go out there and just play the game and just play hard."

Rockets 105, Spurs 85

In Houston, Kevin Martin scored 25 points, Luis Scola added 18 and Kyle Lowry had 16 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for the Rockets.

Houston took advantage of San Antonio's poor shooting at the start to build a big lead. First-year Rockets coach Kevin McHale was able to rest his starters in the fourth quarter, with his team playing the first of three games on consecutive nights.

Magic 94, Nets 78

In Orlando, Ryan Anderson scored 22 points, Dwight Howard had 16 points and 24 rebounds and the Magic had little trouble handling New Jersey.

Jason Richardson added 16 points for Orlando, including 15 in the first half, and J.J. Redick scored 15 points.

Lakers 99, Knicks 82

In Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant scored 28 points in yet another dynamic performance against the Knicks, and the Lakers pulled away in the fourth quarter for their ninth straight victory over New York.

Pau Gasol had 16 points, 10 rebounds and five assists for Los Angeles, which has won two straight after a 0-2 start to the compressed season.

Trail Blazers 111, Nuggets 102

In Portland, Wesley Matthews had 25 points, including five 3-pointers in the second half, and the Blazers defeated Denver.

Bulls 108, Kings 98

In Sacramento, Derrick Rose had 19 points and eight assists and Chicago earned a victory over the Kings.

The Bulls ran off 15 straight points early in the game and never trailed again in defeating Sacramento, the NBA's youngest team.

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