San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker (9) goes up for a shot in front of Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka (9) and guard Russell Westbrook (0) during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game in Oklahoma City, Thursday, April 3, 2014. Oklahoma City won 106-94. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
OKLAHOMA CITY – Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder denied San Antonio a 20th straight NBA victory on Thursday, beating the Spurs 106-94 in a battle of Western Conference powers.
The Spurs arrived in Oklahoma City with a chance to extend their club-record winning streak and strengthen their grasp on the top seed in the West.
But Durant kept a run of his own alive as he scored 28 points with seven rebounds to lift the Thunder.
Durant has now scored 25 or more points in 39 successive games, the longest such streak since Michael Jordan strung together 40 straight games of 25 points or more in the 1986-87 season.
The Thunder completed a sweep of their four regular-season games against the Spurs, and pulled within three games of San Antonio for first place in the Western Conference.
Russell Westbrook scored 27 points and handed out six assists for the Thunder.
Serge Ibaka notched a double-double of 11 points and 12 rebounds and Reggie Jackson chipped in 14 points off the bench for the Thunder.
Patty Mills led the Spurs with 21 points, while Tim Duncan delivered 17 points and eight rebounds. Kawhi Leonard also scored 17 points in the setback, the Spurs’ first defeat since they fell 106-85 to Phoenix on February 21.