Durant lifts Thunder past Pacers 118-94

Updated: 2013-12-10 07:37

(China Daily)

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Kevin Durant had 36 points and 10 rebounds and Oklahoma City turned a matchup of two of the NBA's best teams into a blowout with a 118-94 win over the Indiana Pacers on Sunday night.

The Thunder (15-4) improved to 10-0 at home this season. They are the only Western Conference team to remain undefeated at home.

Durant was 14 of 23 from the field and Oklahoma City shot a season-best 61 percent (47 of 77). Russell Westbrook finished with 26 points, Reggie Jackson had 15 and Serge Ibaka 13 for the Thunder.

Paul George scored 32 points for the Pacers (18-3), who shot just 40 percent (34 of 85).

Indiana was playing its second game in two nights, having won at San Antonio on Saturday.

The Thunder never trailed on Sunday, leading by as many as 19 points in the first half before pushing the lead to 29 in the third quarter after Steven Adams' three-point play put Oklahoma City up 88-59.

Oklahoma City nearly equaled its season-high of 119 points in the win, falling one point short of what it scored on Nov 8 against Detroit.

The loss was the worst of the season for last season's Eastern Conference finalists, the Pacers. Their only other losses were a 16-point defeat at Chicago on Nov 16, and a four-point defeat at Portland on Dec 2.

Oklahoma City swept the regular-season series with the Pacers last season, and Durant opened the game with a point to prove in the matchup of NBA Finals' hopefuls.

- Associated Press

(China Daily 12/10/2013 page23)

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