Durant erupts for 40 in Warriors rout
OAKLAND, CALIF. – Russell Westbrook took an inbound pass and cradled it. With the ball tucked, the Thunder guard turned to direct traffic, and he took a step toward his offensive end of the floor.
Then he took another. And another. And another.
He took five of them before the call came. Traveling. In the heat of a competitive game with the Warriors Wednesday at Oracle Arena, Westbrook had casually carried the ball to the freethrow line without once dribbling it.
Westbrook pointed to his head as if to tell his teammates he’d spaced out. The play had gotten away from him. The game was in the midst of doing the same.
The Warriors went on to win 121-100, though at the moment Westbrook walked, Golden State had taken a 66-63 lead on a Kevin Durant 3-pointer, part of a 40-point night for the former Thunder star.
Even then, the Warriors run seemed inevitable.
Playing without center Steven Adams – back in Oklahoma City with a concussion – the Thunder had managed to stay within striking distance of the NBA’s best team playing with unusual lineup combinations.
Westbrook helped keep it close with his 21st triple-double of the season, 27 points, 15 rebounds and 13 assists. He threw down a spectacular driving dunk with 4:52 to play in the third quarter that cut the Golden State lead to 79-74, but by then the tide was turning.
Enes Kanter added 22 points and Victor Oladipo 20 for Oklahoma City, but the Durant 3 was the start of a 30-15 Golden State run over the final 7:43 of the third quarter that put the Warriors in front 93-78 entering the fourth.
Getting to the half in a tie felt like a feat for the Thunder.
With Adams out for the second straight game, Billy Donovan again started Jerami Grant, and against the Warriors’ range of offensive options, the Thunder coach tried a series of unusual lineups.
Donovan played at least three five-man units in the first half that he hadn’t used at all this season. All of them involved Cameron Payne, who played in only his seventh game, but it was a mix-and-match kind of night.
The Thunder tried some small ball, with four perimeter players – Westbrook, Payne, Oladipo and Andre Roberson – around Kanter. It used Kanter as its only true big in lineups with Westbrook, Payne, Alex Abrines and Kyle Singler and with Payne, Morrow, Abrines, Singler and Anthony Morrow.
And for a half, it worked.
With 4 seconds to play in the second quarter, Zaza Pachulia fouled Westbrook hard near midcourt and stood over the Thunder guard as he lay on the floor. The play was ruled a flagrant foul, giving Westbrook two free throws and the Thunder the ball.
Westbrook made both, and Kanter buried an 18-foot baseline jumper with 2.1 seconds to play to tie the game 56-56 entering the half.
Ultimately, the Thunder had no answer for Durant.
He made 13 of 16 shots – including 5 of 7 3-pointers – and 9 of 10 free throws. He’s scored 79 points in two wins against his former team. Stephen Curry added 24 points for Golden State.
That keyed a strong offensive night for the Warriors, who shot 54.1 percent and made 10 of 21 3-pointers. Golden State scored 56 points in the paint, outscored the Thunder 56-46 in the paint and turned 19 Oklahoma City turnovers into 29 points.