HOUSTON, Texas: Kevin Durant scored 41 points yesterday to help the Oklahoma City Thunder thwart a late rally by Houston and post a 104-101 victory over the Rockets for a 3-0 lead in their NBA play-off series.
Durant drained a go-ahead three-pointer with 41.9 seconds remaining and the Thunder held on to take a stranglehold on the Western Conference first-round series.
No NBA team have come back from an 0-3 deficit to win a best-of-seven post-season set.
Durant carried Oklahoma City in the absence of Russell Westbrook, who had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his knee yesterday and will miss the rest of the play-offs.
In Memphis, the Grizzlies mauled the Los Angeles Clippers 104-83 to pull level in their Western Conference series at 2-2.
Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph scored 24 points apiece to power the Grizzlies, who will travel to Los Angeles for game five on Tuesday and host game six on Friday.
Spain’s Gasol added 13 rebounds while Randolph grabbed nine and Mike Conley contributed 15 points and 13 assists for Memphis.
Blake Griffin and Chis Paul each scored 19 to lead the Clippers.
Nate Robinson came off the Chicago bench to score 34 points and the Bulls rallied to stun the Brooklyn Nets 142-134 in triple overtime yesterday to seize command of their NBA play-off series.
The thriller matched the second-longest game in NBA playoff history, falling just short of Boston’s four-overtime triumph against Syracuse in 1953, and resulted in record playoff point totals for both clubs.
Chicago took a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference best-of-seven matchup and will try to finish off the Nets and advance to the second round with a triumph in game five at Brooklyn today.
The Nets led 109-95 late in the fourth quarter before Robinson scored 12 points in a 14-0 run that equalized.
Robinson’s 23 points in the fourth quarter was one shy of Michael Jordan’s team play-off record for scoring in a quarter. Robinson connected on 14-of-23 shots from the field but fouled out in the second extra session.
“We got a stop, and got the ball to Nate. Then we got a stop, and got the ball to Nate. Then we got a stop, and got the ball to Nate,” Carlos Boozer said of Chicago’s formula for the win. Boozer added 21 points for Chicago, which had 15 points and 13 rebounds from Joakim Noah despite a foot injury.
Deron Williams led Brooklyn with 32 points while Brook Lopez added 26 and Joe Johnson contributed 22. In yesterday’s other Eastern Conference clash, the Atlanta Hawks dominated defensively on their home floor en route to a 90-69 tout of the Indiana Pacers.
Al Horford scored a playoff career-high 26 points with 16 rebounds as Atlanta trimmed the deficit in the series to 2-1.
Josh Smith added 14 points, six rebounds and six assists for the Hawks, who host game four today.
Agencies
