Durant dazzles against Westbrook, Thunder once more
OAKLAND, Calif. - Kevin Durant dazzled against his old team once again with a season-best 40 points, and the Golden State Warriors beat Oklahoma City 121-100 on Wednesday night despite Russell Westbrook's 21st triple-double for the Thunder.
Westbrook had 27 points, 15 rebounds and 13 assists in an improved showing from his 20-point outing on 4-for-15 shooting when OKC first faced Durant in the other jersey here 2 1/2 months ago and watched him dismantle the Thunder from every which way.
In his two games against OKC, Durant has scored 79 points on 28-for-50 shooting. He hit seven 3-pointers in the first meeting, a 122-96 Warriors rout Nov. 3 at Oracle Arena. Durant also had 12 rebounds Wednesday.
Stephen Curry added 24 points and eight assists, and Klay Thompson had 14 points after he arrived back in the Bay Area just in time to play after a short absence dealing with a personal family matter.
This one had tension, which just might be the norm from here on out when Durant faces the Thunder. There were words exchanged and stare downs, and of course a few hard fouls - then an occasional smile to balance things out, like when Durant missed on a driving tomahawk jam and the ball shot back to midcourt. This atmosphere wasn't that much different from two days earlier when the champion Cavaliers visited Golden State's home floor and left with an embarrassing 126-91 defeat.
Enes Kanter added 22 points and nine rebounds off the bench for the Thunder, who missed center Steven Adams for a second straight game with a concussion.
Tied at 63 after the game was also even at halftime, the Warriors scored eight unanswered points with 3s by Thompson and Durant. Thompson scored five straight points during the exact kind of scoring flurry Oklahoma City coach Billy Donovan described before the game as what makes these star-studded Warriors so dangerous.
It wasn't that long ago Donovan could only watch as Golden State rallied from a 3-1 deficit to beat OKC in the Western Conference finals last season.
Westbrook shot just 8 for 23 this time and missed all but one of his six 3-point tries, but made 10 of 11 free throws.
With 4.4 seconds left in the first half, Zaza Pachulia collided with Westbrook and clobbered the OKC star in the face as the Warriors center went with his man as Kanter set a screen on Andre Iguodala. Westbrook went down and grabbed his face in obvious pain and Pachulia glared at Westbrook as he stood over him. The play went to official review before Pachulia received a flagrant 1 foul, drawing boos from the sellout crowd.
Golden State outscored Oklahoma City 37-22 in the third to turn the game into another blowout on the way to wrapping up 9-1 stay in Northern California over the past 3 1/2 weeks.
Durant posted his 11th game with 30 or more points and fifth with at least 30 points and 10 boards.
As dominant as KD has been against the Thunder, the Warriors still must go to Oklahoma City on Feb. 11 and March 20.
TIP-INS
Thunder: Oklahoma City is 5-11 on the road against Golden State and hasn't won on the Warriors' home floor since Dec. 18, 2014. ... Adams wasn't with the team.
Warriors: PF David West has a non-displaced fracture of his left thumb and will be re-evaluated in two weeks. ... Golden State was tied at halftime for the first time all season. ... After outrebounding the Cavs 58-35, the Warriors led the category 46-36. ... Golden State committed 13 first-half turnovers and 18 total.