Thunder-Suns Preview

By ALAN FERGUSON
Posted Jan 14 2013 1:47AM

After they finally snapped a lengthy road losing streak, the Phoenix Suns will try to work on ending their recent woes at home.

A matchup with the league-leading Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night could make that difficult, especially if Jared Dudley is forced to sit out again.

Phoenix (13-26) ended a string of 12 consecutive losses as a visitor - its longest single-season skid in nearly three decades - on Saturday with a decisive 97-81 victory over Chicago. Luis Scola had 22 points in the Suns' 2,000th all-time win and Michael Beasley had 20 on 10-of-14 shooting off the bench, his best scoring performance in a little more than a month.

"Obviously it was a much needed win for us. It is especially good to get it against a quality team," coach Alvin Gentry said. "For the first time in a very long time we played and executed well for four quarters."

Gentry's team has also had trouble executing on its own floor lately as it's dropped four of five after starting 9-5 there, capped by a season-high four straight wins.

Another absence from Dudley may hurt Phoenix's chances of getting back on track at home.

The swingman, third on the team with 12.1 points per game, had to sit out Saturday's win after bruising his right hand in a loss at Brooklyn on Friday. He was expected to get an X-ray to determine the severity of his injury.

Dudley had scored a combined 50 points in his three games before getting hurt but was held to seven on 2-of-7 shooting in a 114-96 loss at Oklahoma City on Dec. 31. Kevin Durant scored 30 points for the Thunder (29-8) and Russell Westbrook had 24 points, nine assists and seven rebounds despite having to get eight stitches above his right eye.

Two other Thunder starters were dealing with injuries in the team's most recent game. Serge Ibaka (bruised chest) and Thabo Sefolosha (neck) missed Sunday's 87-83 win in Portland and their statuses are unknown for the visit to Phoenix.

Durant and the Thunder's defense helped make up for those absences and a difficult shooting night for Westbrook. The star forward scored 33 points in his team's eighth victory in 10 games and Oklahoma City held the Trail Blazers to 36.0 percent shooting.

Durant, who had a season-high 42 points in a 116-101 road victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday, has scored more than 20 in 13 consecutive games.

"It was one of our best defensive games of the year, and it's kind of surprising because we did not have two of our best defensive players in the games," coach Scott Brooks said. "But that's what team's do. Teams have to step up and figure out ways to win, and our guys came off the bench and did a great job."

Westbrook had 18 points Sunday despite missing 16 of 21 shots and DeAndre Liggins, who replaced Sefolosha in the lineup, finished with 11 points and nine rebounds in his first NBA start. Nick Collison had eight points and three rebounds while starting in place of Ibaka, who had not missed a game while averaging career highs of 14.3 points and 8.4 boards.

Durant has a combined 89 points in his last three games against Phoenix and scored 29 in a 109-97 win at U.S. Airways Center on April 18. Dudley had a team-best 21 points for the Suns in that game.

Durant scores 41, Thunder beats Suns for 30th win

By BOB BAUM
Posted Jan 15 2013 12:51AM

PHOENIX (AP) When Kevin Durant takes over a game, it's quite a show.

This time, it was at the expense of Marcin Gortat and the rest of the Phoenix Suns.

Durant scored 27 of his 41 points in the second half - 19 in the fourth quarter- and the Oklahoma City Thunder became the NBA's first 30-game winner this season by beating the Suns 102-90 on Monday night.

Russell Westbrook added 36 for the Thunder, but it was Durant who took over late in his fourth 40-point game, falling one shy of the season-high 42 he scored two games earlier against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Durant sank an array of pull-up jumpers, added a couple of casual 3-pointers, made a handful of layups, then punctuated his night with a spectacular dunk over Gortat for a three-point play.

"I am just having a lot of fun out there," he said. "I got away with a carry on that (last) play, but I was able to free myself up. I saw the lane. Everyone knows he does a great job of contesting in the lane. I just tried to finish with some strength."

Durant and Westbrook accounted for 47 of Oklahoma City's 51 second-half points.

"We basically lost to Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant," Gortat said. "These two guys were just outstanding. They played great. The pick-and-roll between these two guys is just ridiculous."

Durant said the two-player dominance in the second half "was just the natural flow of the game - how they were playing us."

"We set nice screen and rolls and we thought we could find some good stuff in the pick and rolls," he said. "Russ got it going early and I just tried to play off of everybody, and my teammates just told me to go be aggressive and luckily my shots were falling."

Oklahoma City won its fourth straight, the last three on the road to improve their NBA-best record to 30-8. Durant scored 33 Sunday night in an 87-83 win at Portland.

Shannon Brown scored 21 for the Suns. Gortat had 19 points and 15 rebounds, but was the unfortunate would-be defender on Durant's spectacular dunk late in the game.

Kevin Martin was the only other Oklahoma City player in double figures with 12 points.

The Thunder were without Serge Ibaka for the second game in a row with a chest contusion. Phoenix didn't have Jared Dudley (right wrist strain) or Jermaine O'Neal (back spasms).

Down 68-54 after Westbrook's layup, the Suns finished the third quarter with a 14-4 run, cutting it to 72-68 on Michael Beasley's 3-pointer with 3.3 seconds left in the period. Oklahoma City didn't get a field goal in the final 5:23 of the quarter, its only points coming on Durant's four field goals.

But the Suns never got any closer.

Durant opened the fourth quarter with a fastbreak layup, sank a 19-footer, then followed with a 3-pointer and the Thunder led 79-72. Westbrook's 3-pointer put Oklahoma City up 87-77 with 4:49 to play, then Durant put on a final show.

He sank a 3-pointer, followed with a 19-footer, then scored on a layup. The spectacular finish came on Oklahoma City's next possession when he drove the lane and soared over Gortat for the dunk. Gortat fouled him on the play and Durant made the free throw to put the Thunder up 97-81 with 2:23 to play.

"I ain't going to deny it. That was probably one of the top three dunks of the year," Gortat said. "At least I'm going to be out there. I'm just going to try to be silly about it. I'm not going to cry. It's just part of the game. I already knew what was going on when he took off. I didn't lift my hands up. I just tried to get out of the picture and at least smile."

Oklahoma City used a 17-5 run to go up 45-35 on Martin's 3-pointer with 3:09 left in the first half.

The Suns went 4 minutes, 15 seconds without a point in the early stages of the Thunder outburst.

Brown scored on a drive to the basket and was fouled for a 3-point play with 1.8 seconds left to cut Oklahoma City's lead 51-45 at the break.

Notes: Boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. had a courtside seat. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was in attendance with former Suns owner Jerry Colangelo, now head of USA Basketball. ... Oklahoma City has won five straight in Phoenix, tied with Miami for longest active streak at US Airways Center. ... Dudley missed his second straight game. O'Neal was a game-time scratch.

Notebook: Thunder 102, Suns 90

Jonathan Dalton, For NBA.com
Posted Tue Jan 15, 2013 12:57 AM - Updated Tue Jan 15, 2013 12:57 AM

THE FACTS: Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook combined to score 47 of Oklahoma City's 51 second-half points to power the Thunder past the reeling Phoenix Suns 102-90 on Monday night for their league-leading 30th victory.

Durant matched a season high with 41 points and Westbrook added a season-best 36 for the Thunder (30-8). Kevin Martin was the only only other Thunder player in double figures with 12.

Durant had 22 points after three quarters but scored 19 in the fourth on 8-for-12 shooting, adding an exclamation point with a tomahawk dunk over Marcin Gortat. Durant fell to the floor as he drew the foul but calmly sank his ninth free throw in as many attempts for his final point.

Shannon Brown scored 21 points and Gortat finished with 19 points and 15 rebounds in 46-plus minutes for the Suns (13-27), who have dropped 12 of their past 14.

QUOTABLE: "It was just the natural flow of the game, how they were playing us. Russ [Westbrook] got it going early, I tried to play off of everybody and my teammates just told me to go be aggressive."

-- Kevin Durant

THE STAT: Durant and Westbrook took 33 of the Thunder's 41 second-half shots and exceeded the second-half output of eight teams who played on Monday night including the Suns, who scored 45 after halftime.

THE STAT II: Kendrick Perkins had a season-high 13 rebounds while scoring zero points on four attempts.

THE STAT III: Unbalanced scoring has worked this season for the Thunder. Oklahoma City is 18-4 when Durant and Westbrook each score at least 20 points.

QUOTABLE II: "What can we do? I don't know. I'm going to be silly, but maybe break his arm or break his leg? You can't do anything. You could double him, triple him and he's still going to score."

-- Martin Gortat on Durant

TURNING POINT: The Suns cut the Thunder's lead to four points, 76-72, on Gortat's alley-oop dunk off a pass from Sebastian Telfair with 10:03 left. Durant missed a 10-foot bank shot, but Hasheem Thabeet rebounded and fed the ball back to Durant for a long 3-pointer that put Oklahoma City ahead 79-72 with 9:31 to go.

NOTABLE: Durant has 25 career 40-point games, four this season. ... Oklahoma City was without Serge Ibaka, who missed his second straight game with a chest bruise. Suns forward Jared Dudley missed his second consecutive game with a strained right wrist. ... The Thunder have won five straight in Phoenix and eight in a row against the Suns overall. ... Suns forward Michael Beasley, after missing two of his first free-throw attempts off the side of the rim, walked down the lane, stared up at the iron and shook his head. "I had to scare the gremlins away," he said. "Those gremlins are always messing with me."

INSIDE THE ARENA: Boxing champ Floyd Mayweather Jr. was sitting courtside, while Kareen Abdul-Jabbar was sitting next to former Suns managing general partner and current USA Basketball chief Jerry Colangelo a few rows off the floor.

UP NEXT: For the Thunder, Wednesday vs. Denver, Friday @ Dallas, Sunday @ Denver. For the Suns, Thursday vs. Milwaukee, January 23 @ Sacramento, January 24 vs. L.A. Clippers.

• Thunder: Ibaka
• Suns: Frye, Garrett

• Thunder: --
• Suns: --

• Lead Changes: 4
• Times Tied: 5

• Arena: US Airways Center, Phoenix, AZ
• Officials: #9 Derrick Stafford, #70 Brent Barnaky, #27 Dick Bavetta
• Attendance: 14951
• Duration: 2:10