CASPER
New member
OKLAHOMA CITY – Kevin Durant scored 25 points, James Harden added a spark with 23 points off the bench while returning from an injury and the Oklahoma City Thunder ended a string of futility against the Houston Rockets with a 122-104 victory on Wednesday night.
The Thunder got out to a sizzling start and opened a 23-point lead within the first 14 minutes. Their lead was never in jeopardy against a Houston team desperately needing a late charge to make the playoffs.
Instead, Oklahoma City used its second-best shooting performance of the season to take a big step toward solidifying its spot in the postseason.
Luis Scola scored 25 and Trevor Ariza added 20 points for Houston, which fell seven games behind Oklahoma City and 5 1/2 behind eighth-place Portland in the Western Conference.
The Thunder got out to a sizzling start and opened a 23-point lead within the first 14 minutes. Their lead was never in jeopardy against a Houston team desperately needing a late charge to make the playoffs.
Instead, Oklahoma City used its second-best shooting performance of the season to take a big step toward solidifying its spot in the postseason.
Luis Scola scored 25 and Trevor Ariza added 20 points for Houston, which fell seven games behind Oklahoma City and 5 1/2 behind eighth-place Portland in the Western Conference.