Thunder seal win without Westbrook to extend series lead to 3-0.
The Oklahoma City Thunder held off the Houston Rockets on Saturday night to claim a 104-101 win to extend their series lead to 3-0.
Playing without Russell Westbrook after he sustained his season-ending knee injury, Kevin Durant stepped up to deliver and matched his playoff career high of 41 points and grabbed 14 rebounds.
However, the win didn’t pass without a few nerves as the Thunder squandered a 26-point second-quarter lead before Durant drained a critical three-pointer in the final minute of regulation after receiving a friendly bounce.
Oklahoma City will now have a chance to complete the series sweep on Monday night in Houston, as Serge Ibaka added a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds, while Reggie Jackson posted up 14 points in his first game as a replacement for Westbrook.
As for the Rockets, they were led by James Harden who ended the game with 30 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Chandler Parsons supported him well with 21 points on 8-for-12 shooting but it wasn’t enough for the Rockets as they are now just one loss away from a first round exit.
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