Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Kevin Durant scored 25 points, Russell Westbrook made a two-pronged bid for his sixth career triple-double and the Oklahoma City Thunder finished off an impressive homestand by beating the Utah Jazz 106-94 on Friday night.
#box
Oklahoma City won all three games by double digits and made a bid to win three in a row by at least 20 points for the first time in 25 years before a late charge by the Jazz.
Westbrook ended up with 23 points, 13 rebounds, eight assists and seven steals. Kevin Martin scored 19 points for the Thunder.
Enes Kanter scored a career-high 18 points, with 14 coming in the fourth quarter as Utah pulled within five before Oklahoma City closed it out.
Westbrook came up with two of his steals - and one of his eight turnovers - during a wild, momentum-changing stretch midway through the fourth quarter.
After his two free throws stretched Oklahoma City's lead to seven, Westbrook swiped the ball, only for Earl Watson to steal it back, and then for Westbrook to race back up the court to get it again.
He fired a pass ahead to Kendrick Perkins, who flipped it to Durant for a two-handed slam that got the sellout crowd roaring again and the Thunder back on the path to victory.
Serge Ibaka chipped in 12 points and seven blocks for Oklahoma City, and Perkins also scored 12.
Al Jefferson had 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Jazz, who were without starting forward Marvin Williams due to concussion symptoms.
Oklahoma City, the league's highest-scoring team, locked down on defense to move ahead for good in the second quarter. The Thunder limited Utah to 30 percent shooting in the period while making 63 percent of their shots and led 54-42 at halftime.
The lead got as big as 81-63 when Martin followed Nick Collison's three-point play with a jumper from the right wing with 1:47 left in the third quarter.
This one wasn't destined for a blowout like the first two games of the homestand, though. Oklahoma City had handed Charlotte its worst loss in franchise history in a 114-69 rout on Monday night, taking a 40-point halftime lead with one of the most dominant first halves in NBA history.
The Thunder then kept Houston's James Harden from hitting a shot in the first half Wednesday night while building a double-digit lead they'd never relinquish.
The Jazz became Oklahoma City's first opponent on the homestand to be within single digits in the second half, roaring back with a 20-7 run after coach Tyrone Corbin went to Watson to run the show late in the third quarter.
Watson lobbed to Gordon Hayward for an alley-oop dunk to finish the period, and the Jazz scored 11 of the first 13 points of the fourth quarter.
Kanter's three-point play got Utah as close as 88-83 with 7:41 remaining.
The Thunder hadn't won three straight games by at least 20 points since November 1997, according to STATS.
Notes: Oklahoma City's game Tuesday at Brooklyn was picked up Friday to be telecast on NBATV. ... The SuperSonics also won by at least 20 in four straight games in February 1994 and March 1995, according to STATS. Those are the only three times the franchise has won at least three games by at least 20 points. ... Corbin said Williams still had a headache Friday but was able to travel with the team to Oklahoma City after his hard fall Wednesday in New Orleans.
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
