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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, March 12, 2010

NBA: Thunder's Durant sets franchise mark for 30-point games


Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY — Kevin Durant scored 32 points, his franchise-record 36th 30-point game this season, and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the NBA-worst New Jersey Nets 104-102 on Friday night for their 16th victory in 19 games.

Durant made two clinching free throws after Devin Harris missed with 24 seconds left. The All-Star passed Spencer Haywood’s mark from the 1972-1973 season.
Russell Westbrook hit two more free throws with 6.3 seconds left, but Oklahoma City nearly gave the game away with late turnovers that let New Jersey (7-58) climb back in it.
Jeff Green scored 20 of his season-high 27 points in the first half. Former Nets center Nenad Krstic scored 10 points for the Thunder.
Harris scored 19 points for New Jersey and Jarvis Hayes added 16. Keyon Dooling finished with 15 points off the bench, including nine straight for the Nets in the second quarter.
The Thunder led by 15 points with 6:36 remaining, but when Oklahoma City called a timeout with just under two minutes remaining, New Jersey was back within seven. New Jersey trimmed the lead to four on a 3-pointer by Terrence Williams.
Oklahoma City went on an 18-2 run in the first quarter and scored 13 fast-break points in the first 12 minutes. The Thunder stretched the lead to 10 at halftime and led by as many as 16 points in the second half.
Russell Westbrook finished with 11 points and 10 assists, while Nick Collison came off the bench to add 10 points and nine rebounds.
Oklahoma City was playing without key reserve James Harden, who strained his right hamstring against New Orleans on Wednesday. Thunder coach Scott Brooks said before the game that Harden could miss up to four weeks.
NOTES: Kyle Weaver, recalled by the Thunder from Tulsa of the NBA D-League after Harden’s injury, checked into the game late in the first quarter and finished with no points in 10 minutes. With an attendance of 18,203, Oklahoma City passed last season’s mark of 18 sellouts in only 33 games. The Thunder have nine home games remaining on the schedule.