Thunder sweeps season series vs. Clippers

Los Angeles, CA, United States (4E Sports) – The Oklahoma City Thunder scored nine of the final 13 points to get past the Los Angeles Clippers 108-104 Sunday.

Kevin Durant scored 35 points, Russell Westbrook had 29 points and 10 assists and Serge Ibaka added 16 points for Oklahoma City.

Los Angeles played from behind nearly the entire game and had to trim a 19-point deficit to 82-73 at the end of the third.

They continued their rally in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Thunder 12-5 in the opening minutes to pull wihtin two points, 87-85, with 6:11 to go.

The Clippers cut the lead further to 91-90 with Jamal Crawford’s 3-pointer from a feed by Blake Griffin.

But the Thunder responded with six straight points courtesy of Westbrook and Kevin Martin to pad their lead, 97-90.

Back-to-back 3-pointers by Matt Barnes against a dunk by Ibaka got the Clippers within three, 99-96.

Ibaka then was called for a flagrant-1 foul in the ensuing play for chopping Griffin in the right hip.

Griffin went to the line, missing the first and making the second. The Clippers retained possession and Crawford hit a 3-pointer off a Chris Paul assist to taste their first lead of the game at 100-99 with 1:30 to play.

But the Thunder figured out the Clippers’ zone defense and outscored the latter with Westbrook making 4 points, Ibaka scoring 3 points and Durant hitting two free throws against just four points from the Clippers to claim the victory.

“It was a good road win for us in a playoff-type atmosphere,” said Westbrook. “We did a good job of keeping their crowd out of the game.”

Chris Paul scored 26 points and Blake Griffin and Jamal Crawford added 20 points apiece for the Clippers, whose four-game winning streak ended.

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