The OKC Thunder avoided their first three-game losing streak in 11 months by battling past a slow shooting start to muscle the lowly Milwaukee Bucks 101-85 in Oklahoma City. Kevin Durant missed his first 8 shots from the field before a nasty fall on a blocked shot attempt in the second seemed to wake him up. K-D bounced back to score 33 points, grab 10 rebounds and hand out 11 assists. Serge Ibaka’s active defense included 17 rebounds and three blocks to go with his 17 points.
Durant, who fell hard trying to make a defensive stop in the paint in the second quarter, hit just 1 of 9 from the floor before the scary bang on his backside. But he bounced back in M-V-P fashion, hitting 7 of 9 from the floor the rest of the way. Coach Scott Brooks said he may excuse Durant from Sunday practice, depending on how his All-Star feels in the morning.
Jeremy Lamb showed his star continues to rise in the league, as he bounced back from a couple of off-nights shooting to 6 of 10 from the floor on the way to 17 points.
The Thunder scored an Oklahoma City-era low 10 points in the first quarter, shooting a dismal 29 percent from the floor in the first half, before they exploded in the third with 39 points (one more than they scored in the entire first half) and cruised to the win. They travel to Memphis on Tuesday.
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