Durant tows Thunder past Hornets
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant posts a double-double with 29 points and 11 rebounds in a win over the Charlotte Hornets. AP
CHARLOTTE — Kevin Durant had 29 points and 11 rebounds, and the Oklahoma City Thunder pulled away in the second half to beat the Charlotte Hornets 109-90 on Saturday.
Russell Westbrook added 16 points for the Thunder, who put four other players in double figures while winning their fourth straight game. Oklahoma City has won 10 in a row against Charlotte dating to the 2010-11 season.
Kemba Walker scored 32 points, Jeremy Lin added 15 and P.J. Hairston had 10 for the Hornets, who made a run in the third quarter, cutting a 12-point Oklahoma City lead to two.
Leading 66-54 at the break, Charlotte scored nine unanswered points to pull to 66-64 with 9:45 remaining in the third. But the Thunder responded with a 12-2 spurt to push their lead back to double digits.
Oklahoma City extended its advantage to 20 late in the fourth, going up 107-87 on Serge Ibaka’s jumper with 2:54 left.
Ibaka finished with 14 points. Enes Kanter and Anthony Morrow each added 12 for the Thunder, and Dion Waiters had 10.
Oklahoma City shot 52.6 percent from the field (20 of 38) and led by as many as 16 points in the first half before taking a 66-54 lead at the break.
The Thunder went up 21-6 on Durant’s jumper with 5 minutes left in the first quarter.
Down 34-22 entering the second, Charlotte pulled to 37-31 on Frank Kaminsky’s layup with 8:17 remaining.
Oklahoma City responded with a 19-9 run and went up by 16 points twice, the last at 56-40 on Kanter’s layup with 4:16 left in the period.
