Thunder takes out Kings

BY ANTONIO GONZALEZ Associated Press
Saturday, January 26, 2013
1/26/13 at 6:11 AM

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Kevin Durant had 24 points and 11 rebounds, Kevin Martin scored 24 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder overcame a slow start to overwhelm the Sacramento Kings 105-95 on Friday night.

Russell Westbrook added 18 points and a season-high 14 assists to anchor a 28-10 run to start the third quarter. The spurt helped Oklahoma City go ahead by 25 points and improve to 3-2 on its season-long six-game road trip, which ends Sunday at the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Thunder has won eight of 10 to climb to the top of the NBA standings.

Tyreke Evans scored 16 points and DeMarcus Cousins had 14 points and eight rebounds on a difficult night shooting for the Kings, who have lost three straight and four of five. Oklahoma City outshot Sacramento 48 to 41 percent.

Sacramento's pending purchase agreement to a group that wants to relocate the team to Seattle still didn't stop an announced crowd of 15,022 from showing up.

With a rowdier home crowd than in recent weeks since the sale surfaced, Sacramento stunned the Thunder at the start. Evans made a 3-pointer and Cousins followed with a dunk to cap a 23-9 run to open the game.

Once Oklahoma City found its stride, the Kings couldn't keep pace.

Durant, Westbrook and Martin - who played for the Kings from 2004-10 - eventually mowed down Sacramento on both ends of the floor. The trio helped the Thunder shoot 52 percent from the floor in the first half, with Westbrook taking an outlet pass from Durant for an uncontested dunk in the final seconds to go ahead 58-51 at the break.

About the loudest noise the Kings made in the second half came from the sideline.

Kings point Isaiah Thomas was called for a technical foul for barking out something from the bench in the third quarter. Both teams were given a warning to stop back-and-forth chatter at each other and the officials.

Associated Images:

Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant dunks over Sacramento’s DeMarcus Cousins during Friday’s game in Sacramento, Calif. RICH PEDRONCELLI/Associated Press