Adams fires in losing cause
STEVEN Adams top-scored for the Thunder but it wasn’t enough to give Oklahoma City victory as they slipped to a 114-100 loss to the Pelicans yesterday.
Adams scored 23 to reach 3000 career NBA points but he was trumped by Pelicans star Anthony Davis who had 43 points.
Davis made 17 of 34 shots and had 10 rebounds, and E’Twaun Moore added 26 points for the Pelicans.
Adams, who also had 12 rebounds, became just the third Thunder player with at least 3000 career points and 350 blocks, joining super star Kevin Durant and Serge Ibaka.
It was the Thunder’s third straight loss after an eight-game winning streak
New Orleans had lost two straight since All-Star DeMarcus Cousins was lost for the season with a left Achilles tendon rupture. They righted the ship by shooting 51 per cent from the field against the Thunder.
Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook had 16 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds for his 16th triple-double of the season.
Westbrook approached a triple-double in the first half with nine points, nine assists and AP seven rebounds to help the Thunder take a 58-54 lead at the break.
The Pelicans seized momentum early in the third quarter. New Orleans led 97-89 in the fourth when Westbrook checked back in after a rest.
Westbrook made a threepointer with just under two minutes remaining to cut the lead to seven, but Davis hit a threepointer at the other end, then made another shortly after that to put the game out of reach.
The Thunder host the Los Angeles Lakers tomorrow.
- AP/Stuff