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Sports

Thunder top Pistons 99-79 for another home blowout

Associated Press
Published | Updated

OKLAHOMA CITY – Russell Westbrook and reserve James Harden each scored 24 points, Kevin Durant added 20 and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Detroit Pistons 99-79 Monday night for their fourth straight blowout win at home.

The Thunder built up a 30-point lead midway through the second quarter and Detroit got no closer than 17 after the opening period.

Oklahoma City's starters had sat out all of the fourth quarter in the previous three games at Chesapeake Energy Arena and that streak was only stopped because Serge Ibaka replaced an injured Nick Collison with the rest of the backups.

Collison sprained his left ankle and didn't play after halftime.

Rookie Brandon Knight led Detroit with 13 points. Rodney Stuckey and Greg Monroe added 12 apiece.

The overmatched Pistons — last in the league in scoring, rebounding and turnovers committed — never stood a chance from the start.

Westbrook had a right-handed throwdown dunk and Durant got out in transition for a layup and a three-point play as the Thunder took control with a 9-0 run after Stuckey's basket to open the game.

Oklahoma City was already up by 19 late in a first quarter in which Detroit missed 15 of 18 shots and got outrebounded 16-6, and another stretch of nine points in a row put the Thunder ahead 51-21 after Durant's jumper from the right side with 5:31 to go before halftime.

Oklahoma City made 22 of its first 33 shots.

Even when things seemed to be going well for Detroit, they didn't.

Brandon Knight, Jonas Jerebko and Damien Wilkins had a 3-on-1 in transition against Thabo Sefolosha that ended when Sefolosha blocked Jerebko's shot to keep the Thunder lead at 60-33 going into halftime.

The Pistons played without Ben Gordon for the second straight game because of a sore left shoulder, and Will Bynum (foot) and Charlie Villanueva (ankle) also remained out.

NOTES: Kendrick Perkins picked up his sixth technical foul of the season in the final minute of the first half, with the Thunder up by 29. He faces a one-game suspension if he gets to 13. ... Monroe was 1 for 10 in the first half. He missed shots on four of Detroit's first five possessions. ... Ibaka had 10 rebounds and blocked a season-high five shots for the second straight game.