Recap: Oklahoma City vs. LA Clippers
Sports Network | November 19, 2008
Oklahoma City, OK (Sports Network) - Chris Kaman led a balanced attack with 25 points and 14 rebounds, and the Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder, 108-88, in a battle of the league's two worst teams.
With a combined record of 2-19 coming into the contest, the Clippers and Thunder had the two worst winning percentages in the NBA.
Cuttino Mobley added 23 points and seven steals for Los Angeles, which snapped a three-game losing streak. Al Thornton added 20 points and seven rebounds in the win. Marcus Camby and Baron Davis each had 14 points for the Clippers.
Kevin Durant had a team-high 18 points for the Thunder, who have now dropped nine straight games since a win over Minnesota. Damien Wilkins scored 17 points, while Russell Westbrook came off the bench to score 10 points and dish out four assists.
Down three at halftime, Los Angeles started the third on a 16-8 spurt to seize a 65-60 edge. Joe Smith's jumper pulled the Thunder to within three, but the Clippers scored the next 12 points to take a 77-62 lead. LA outscored Oklahoma City, 32-16, in the third quarter to take a commanding 81-68 lead to the fourth.
The Clippers were able to maintain that lead until late in the final quarter, when the visitors increased their advantage to 20, at 99-79, with about three minutes to go. LA was able to cruise to the victory from there.
Durant and Green each scored seven in the first quarter, and Oklahoma City led, 26-20, after the opening period.
Durant's monstrous dunk with 4 1/2 minutes left in the half finished off a 7-0 spurt that gave the Thunder their largest lead at 13. But the Clippers closed on a 16-6 run, as Thornton's nine second quarter points helped close to within three at halftime.
The Thunder shot 50 percent (5-of-10) from long range and 100 percent (23- of-23) from the free throw line. They only shot 40 percent (30-of-75) from the field overall...LA shot 47.4 percent (46-of-97) from the field...Oklahoma City committed 20 turnovers, as compared to just 10 for the Clippers...Camby had nine rebounds, and Davis had eight assists...Kaman had six assists.
