Houston hasn’t just gone quietly into the night.
The Rockets used a 23-11 run that covered eight minutes in the fourth quarter to take a four-point lead over the Thunder at 95-91 late in the game. But Oklahoma City fought back with big shots from Thabo Sefolosha and Serge Ibaka to regain the advantage and won Game 2 over Houston, 105-102, and going up 2-0 in the Western Conference opening round series.
Kevin Durant had a team high 29 points and his three-pointer with 2:18 left to play tied the game at 97. But he followed that with two big assists. When the defense came out to get him, Durant dished the ball to Sefolosha, and then to Ibaka on the next trip, and each calmly drained big buckets to push the Thunder back on top for good.
Those were two of Durant’s career high nine assists in the game.
Russell Westbrook also had 29 points in the contest, though it might easily have not turned out that way.
Westbrook and Rockets guard Patrick Beverley collided more than once, and Westbrook came up a little gingerly after one particular swipe at the ball in which it looked as though Beverley intended to make hard contact on Westbrook.
The two had tense moments throughout the game. The matchup could be the next big storyline going into Game 3 in Houston on Saturday.
Former OKC guard James Harden led all scorers with 36. Harden forced the officials’ whistles many times and made 20 trips to the free throw line, hitting on 17 of them.