The Los Angeles Clippers were resilient, but Kevin Durant showed MVP form with a game-high 32 points as he led the Oklahoma City Thunder past the Clips, 109-97, Tuesday night at Staples Center.
Thunder vs. Clippers final score: Durant, OKC overwhelm depleted Clips, 109-97
The stars were out in Los Angeles in the NBA’s game of the week, but none shone brighter than Kevin Durant.
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Durant was unstoppable all game long, but did most of his damage in the fourth quarter, where he scored 13 points. He added seven rebounds, seven assists and one steal. Russell Westbrook continued to show marked improvement as he chipped in with 26 points, six assists, four rebounds and one steal.
Oklahoma City shot 52.6 percent from the field and an outstanding 55.6 percent from the three-point line.
The Clippers (32-11) made a late run and shot the ball well in the second half, but the ability of the Thunder (33-9) to score inside and out made things difficult.
Blake Griffin notched a double-double and finished with 31 points and 11 rebounds, adding five assists. Jamal Crawford added 14 points off the bench for Los Angeles.
The Thunder used a near-flawless third quarter to pull away from the injury-depleted Clippers, who were missing floor general Chris Paul as the All-Star continues to nurse his way back to health following a knee injury. Oklahoma City made 12 of 16 from the field, including 6 of 7 from the three-point line, to shoot a blazing 75 percent in the quarter. They led by as many as 16 points, but the Clippers used the strong shooting of Griffin to keep things relatively close.
Both teams entered the contest looking to bounce back from a loss, despite having the league’s top two records between them.
The Clippers will travel to the desert to take on the Phoenix Suns on Thursday in their next game, while the Thunder will continue their six-game road trip in the Bay Area in the second leg of a back-to-back on Wednesday.
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