Westbrook hits stride as Thunder hold off Lakers
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E-mail Shanghai Daily, March 7, 2013
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Kobe Bryant of LA Lakers tries to drive past Kevin Durant of Oklahoma City Thunders in a NBA game between Lakers and Thunders on March 6, 2013. |
Russell Westbrook scored 37 points, leading six Oklahoma City players in double figures on Tuesday in a 122-105 home victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Westbrook added 10 rebounds and Kevin Durant scored 26 points and grabbed nine rebounds for the Thunder, whose two turnovers equalled a National Basketball Association record for fewest in a game held by the 2006 Milwaukee Bucks and 2009 Cleveland Cavaliers.
Kobe Bryant scored 30 points for the Lakers, but was hampered by a right elbow injury suffered in the first quarter. Steve Nash equalled his season-best with 20, but it wasn't enough to stop the Lakers from again falling below .500.
Elsewhere in the NBA, it was: Celtics 109, 76ers 101; and Nuggets 120, Kings 113.
In Oklahoma City, the Lakers, trying to get themselves in playoff position in the Western Conference, had taken their record to 30-30 with a victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday.
But they got off to a slow start against the Thunder, who raced to a 7-0 lead, held a 37-28 edge after the first quarter and never trailed.
Durant was key to the Thunder's red-hot start, scoring 20 of his 26 points in the first half.
"Obviously our slow start didn't help any," said Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni, who said his team was also hurt by 16 turnovers.
"We battled through some injuries, battled through some foul trouble," D'Antoni said, noting that Dwight Howard's sore shoulder was aggravated early. "We had to play a little bit better to beat a good team."
Despite this, the Lakers managed to close the deficit to five points in the fourth, as Nash's three-pointer with 6:14 to play made it 105-110. But the Lakers were unable to score again.
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