OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Kevin Durant scored 23 points, Russell Westbrook added 21 and the Oklahoma City Thunder built a huge first-half lead on their way to a 106-89 victory over the Denver Nuggets in Game 2 on Wednesday night.
The first-round playoff series shifts to Denver on Saturday night with Oklahoma City leading 2-0.
The Thunder relied heavily on their All-Star duo in Game 1, getting a combined 72 points from Durant and Westbrook. But they got contributions from everyone to build a 26-point lead early in the second quarter of a dominant victory.
Ty Lawson scored 20 points to lead Denver, which got as close as 10 in the fourth quarter before Oklahoma City put the game away.
Nene and Raymond Felton added 16 points apiece for the Nuggets.
The rematch of a series opener that went right down to the wire and featured a controversial non-call on a goaltending on the Thunder’s go-ahead basket with 65 seconds left couldn’t have been much different than Game 1.
Oklahoma City got a balanced performance, with James Harden providing 18 points and Serge Ibaka adding 12 points and 12 rebounds. Kendrick Perkins had 11 rebounds as the Thunder piled up a 41-19 edge on the boards by late in the third quarter.
Denver made a brief rally to get within 86-76 after consecutive layups by Lawson and Felton with 8:33 to play, but Thunder coach Scott Brooks called a timeout to get Westbrook back in the game and stop the comeback.
Oklahoma City held Denver without a basket for 3 minutes to get started on a 14-5 run that put the game away. Westbrook hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key, then stuck out three fingers on each hand, blew on them and stuck them down to his sides as if holstering them.
Durant let out a scream after leaping to slam down Daequan Cook’s missed 3-pointer on the next possession, and the celebration was on.
In a reversal from the first game, it was the Thunder who came out hot.
Durant and Westbrook opened the game with 3-pointers, and Oklahoma City cruised to a 29-10 lead late in the first quarter. Kenyon Martin and coach George Karl both drew technical fouls for the frustrated Nuggets, who seemed to be constantly looking for whistles that didn’t come.
Harden hit two 3-pointers as Oklahoma City scored 12 of the first 14 points in the second quarter to make it 43-17 within the first 15½ minutes of the game.
Al Harrington finally brought the Nuggets to life with a 3-pointer from the top of the key, starting a string of seven straight points for Denver. Within 5 minutes, the Nuggets shaved 14 points off the deficit.
Harrington made another 3 in a 9-0 run, and Denver was suddenly within 50-38 after Lawson’s jumper along the right side of the lane with 3:42 left before halftime.
The comeback fizzled, though, as the Nuggets made just one basket in the first 5 minutes of the second half.
NOTES: After making their first seven shots in Game 1, Denver missed its first six in Game 2 and got its first make off Ibaka’s goaltend of a fast-break layup by Lawson. ... Karl said before the game he remembered being suspended while coaching in the CBA for kicking a ball toward the head of official Monty McCutchen, who was part of Wednesday night’s crew. ... Reserves J.R. Smith and Chris Andersen didn’t play in the second half for the Nuggets.