Thunder breezes past New Orleans 110-95
BY BRETT MARTEL Associated Press
Saturday, November 17, 2012
11/17/12 at 6:19 AM
NEW ORLEANS - When Kevin Durant gazed across the court at the New Orleans Hornets, a young team full of potential and stars in the making like Anthony Davis, it reminded him of what the Oklahoma City Thunder was like a few years ago.
When the Hornets saw Durant slam down an alley-oop lob to punctuate a fast break and give the Thunder a 30-point first-half lead, it reminded them of how far they still have to go to match the NBA's elite.
Durant and Kevin Martin each scored 27 points, and the Thunder rolled to their sixth victory in seven games, 110-95 over New Orleans on Friday night.
"We know what it takes to win on the road and we really respect our opponent. These guys remind me so much of us a few years back with the talent they have and the coach they have," Durant said.
Serge Ibaka scored 15 for Oklahoma City, which shot 54 percent (40-of-74) and built a lead as large as 34 in the second half, allowing the starters to rest for the entire fourth quarter. Thabo Sefolosha scored 11 points, while Russell Westbrook had 10 points and 12 of the Thunder's 31 assists.
Westbrook made only three of 11 shots, but coach Scott Brooks raved about the guard's hustle and unselfishness.
"It was one of his better games. On both ends of the floor he was disruptive," Brooks said. "When he plays like that, it puts a lot of pressure on the opponent, a lot of pressure on their point guard to run the offense."
Westbrook, meanwhile, downplayed his role as a scorer, even though that's what he has been the past couple seasons.
"It's not about me scoring a certain amount of points. That's not the issue," Westbrook said. "Our problem is we need to win games and that's all I try to do.
Oklahoma City made 14 3-pointers, with Martin hitting six of 11 and Durant going 4-of-5.
Ryan Anderson scored 15 points for New Orleans, which dropped its second straight. Anthony Davis tied a career high with 11 rebounds to go with eight points, but hit only four of 14 shots.
The defensive-minded Hornets entered the game giving up 90.5 points per contest, the third-lowest average in the league, but Oklahoma City scored 66 in the first half on 64 percent shooting
Original Print Headline: Thunder breezes past New Orleans
Associated Images:
Thunder guard Kevin Martin scored 27 points against the Hornets on Friday. JONATHAN BACHMAN/AP
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