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Sports

Durant scores 30, Thunder snap skid in Houston

Associated Press
Published | Updated

HOUSTON – Kevin Durant scored 30 points, Russell Westbrook added 23 points and 13 assists, and the Oklahoma City Thunder snapped the franchise's 11-game losing streak in Houston with a 118-112 win over the Rockets on Wednesday night.

Thabo Sefolosha grabbed 13 rebounds, and Serge Ibaka and Jeff Green added 16 points apiece for the Thunder. The franchise won in Houston for the first time since Feb. 22, 2005, when the team was still the Seattle SuperSonics.

Luis Scola scored 31 points, but none in the fourth quarter, for Houston. The Rockets played without leading scorer Kevin Martin (sore right wrist) and backup center Brad Miller (sore left knee) for the second straight game.

Houston scored a season-high 70 points in the paint, but went 5 for 18 from 3-point range.

Green sank two 3-pointers in the first six minutes and the Thunder built an early lead. Oklahoma City started 9 for 13 from the field, and Durant and Westbrook had two of the misses.

The injuries forced Houston coach Rick Adelman to shuffle his rotation, and Courtney Lee and seldom-used forward Jared Jeffries checked in with 3:36 left in the first quarter.

Scola scored 13 points in the first quarter and helped Houston rally to a 31-all tie. Westbrook, averaging 22 points, missed his first six shots and Houston took the lead early in the second.

The Rockets went 1 for 7 from 3-point range in the first half, but scored 36 points in the paint to lead 54-52. Scola led Houston with 16 points, and point guard Kyle Lowry scored most of his 14 first-half points on driving layups.

Durant sank a 3-pointer and Nenad Krstic tipped in another Westbrook miss during a 14-4 Thunder spurt in the third quarter. The Rockets missed seven of their first 11 shots after halftime and Oklahoma City built a 72-62 lead.

Scola rallied Houston with more shifty moves inside. He flipped in a layup, drew a foul and made the free throw with 3:10 left in the third quarter to cut the deficit to 76-71.

Scola scored 15 points on 7-for-10 shooting in the third quarter and Houston trailed 82-79 heading to the fourth. Reserve Chase Budinger scored seven points in the first two minutes of the final quarter, and Jeffries' rebound basket tied it again, at 88-all. Green answered with a quick drive and the Thunder never trailed again.

Durant threw down a powerful one-handed dunk over rookie Patrick Patterson, then hit a pair of jumpers around a dunk by Green to put Oklahoma City up 101-94.

The Thunder stretched the lead to 13 before the Rockets made a late charge, with Lee scoring seven points in a 2-minute span to help pull Houston within two. Westbrook went 4 for 4 from the free throw line in the last 17 seconds to stall the comeback.

Notes: Westbrook has 17 double-doubles this season. ... The Thunder improved to 17-2 when outrebounding their opponent. ... The Rockets have lost seven of their last nine games and three in a row at home. ... Scola has scored at least 20 points in 19 games this season.