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Kevin Durant leads Golden State Warriors to rout of Oklahoma City Thunder

By Dave Del Grande, The Sports Xchange
Kevin Durant terrorized his former team for the second straight time Wednesday night, pouring in a season-high 40 points in the Warriors' 121-100 victory over the Thunder. File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI
Kevin Durant terrorized his former team for the second straight time Wednesday night, pouring in a season-high 40 points in the Warriors' 121-100 victory over the Thunder. File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo

OAKLAND, Calif. -- When the Golden State Warriors dueled the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference finals last season, the then-defending champions barely survived.

One key transaction later, things have changed big-time.

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Kevin Durant terrorized his former team for the second straight time Wednesday night, pouring in a season-high 40 points in the Warriors' 121-100 victory over the Thunder.

Durant, who left the Thunder as a free agent in July and dropped 39 points on them in their first head-to-head meeting in November, contributed 13 points to a third-quarter flurry. The Warriors (36-6) exploded into a 93-78 lead after the game was tied 56-all at halftime.

The result was a 21-point thumping 10 weeks after a 26-point shellacking in Durant's first-ever meeting with the Thunder.

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"Every player in the NBA wants to play well against his old team," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. "For most guys, you feel that little extra juice. I think it's even more so with KD because of his history with that franchise. He's got a lot of friends over there, and for sure he's motivated and it's a big deal."

Durant's big scoring night, the 47th 40-point game of his career, helped the Warriors overcome Thunder guard Russell Westbrook's league-leading 21st triple-double of the season.

Westbrook totaled 27 points, 15 rebounds and 13 assists, but he also was harassed into 8-of-23 shooting and 10 turnovers.

"It was big," Westbrook said of the turnovers, the sixth double-figure total of his career and third during a triple-double performance. "They scored off of pretty much all of them. That's what they do."

Klay Thompson provided most of the Warriors' defensive attention on Westbrook after he briefly left the team earlier in the day for a family matter in Portland, Ore.

Thompson returned in time to contribute offensively as well, chipping in 14 points as Golden State beat Oklahoma City for the seventh consecutive time in Oakland.

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Stephen Curry had 24 points, including nine in the decisive third quarter, for the Warriors, who shot 54.1 percent from the field and 10 of 21 on 3-pointers.

Durant played a large part in both impressive percentages, hitting 13 of 16 from the field and 5 of 7 from 3-point range.

"The ball just found whoever was open," Durant said, "and we did a good job of making the shots."

There was more to it than that, Kerr insisted.

"The efficiency level of this guy is just amazing," the coach said. "He's probably not going to win the MVP because there are a lot of people out there who are playing extremely well, but I don't think anybody is more efficient.

"He's having a fantastic season, but it's kind of going under the radar."

Durant also had a team-high 12 rebounds, helping Golden State gain a 46-36 advantage in that area.

Draymond Green contributed to the Warriors' rebounding edge with 11 to go with 12 points.

Afterward, Durant downplayed the role the opponent played in inspiring his big night.

"It's good to see everybody," he said, "but once the ball tips, you're just playing. Simple as that."

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Westbrook had 16 of his points in the first half, during which the Thunder led by as many as seven.

He also was on the receiving end of a flagrant foul by Golden State center Zaza Pachulia in the final minute of the half, producing the two free throws that created the halftime tie.

Afterward, Westbrook insisted the collision, during which he was hit twice in the face, was not forgotten.

"He hit me kind of hard," Westbrook said. "I'm going to get (him) back. Straight up.

"I don't play like that. I'm going to get (him) back. Whenever that is, I don't know when it's going to be. But I don't play that game."

Westbrook clinched the triple-double with his 10th assist in the seventh minute of the third quarter.

Enes Kanter totaled 22 points off the bench and Victor Oladipo had 20 for Oklahoma City, which lost for the third time in four games to start a six-game trip.

The Thunder (25-19) shot 42.2 percent overall and were 8 of 28 on 3-point attempts.

NOTES:

-- Warriors backup PF David West sustained a non-displaced fracture of his left thumb in the game. The Warriors announced that he would be re-evaluated in two weeks.

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-- SG Klay Thompson was listed by the Warriors as "out" on Wednesday morning after he informed the team he was taking the 90-minute flight to Portland, Ore., to visit his ailing grandfather. He arrived at the arena almost an hour and a half before game time, not much after some of his teammates, and got the start.

-- Thunder coach Billy Donovan announced at his pregame press briefing that C Steven Adams (concussion) was getting better but noted Adams has yet to be cleared for Oklahoma City's next game -- Monday at Utah.

-- The Warriors completed a 22-day stretch in which they never left Northern California for a game. They sandwiched five- and four-game homestands around a 90-mile bus ride to Sacramento.

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