{{pageModel.leagueAbbr}} {{pageModel.subtitle}} | Las Vegas Review-Journal
National Basketball Association
Oklahoma City 109, Charlotte 95
When: 8:00 PM ET, Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Where: Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Officials: #7 Lauren Holtkamp, #4 Sean Wright, #59 Gary Zielinski
Attendance: 18203

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Forward Kevin Durant scored 26 points and guard Russell Westbrook posted 16 points and 15 assists to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 109-95 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday at the Chesapeake Energy Arena.

The Thunder had six players score in doubles figures, and they are 9-0 when they get that many double-digit scorers.

Center Enes Kanter scored 12 points, center Steven Adams tallied 10 points and 10 rebounds and forward Kyle Singler scored 11 points off the bench as the Thunder improved to 32-12.

Guard Kemba Walker paced the Hornets with 21 points on 8-of-15 shooting. Guard Jeremy Lin scored 16 points and forward Frank Kaminsky added 15 points as the Charlotte fell to 19-23.

Oklahoma City was off and running in the first quarter. Not only did the Thunder knock down long 3-pointers, they were able to drive to the rim. Durant exemplified this when he drove from the top of the key through the Hornets defense to hammer down a one-handed dunk.

However, because of the efforts of Walker, Charlotte only trailed by seven at halftime.

Poor shooting and turnovers slowed down the Thunder in the third quarter. The Hornets took advantage and closed the deficit to five points.

Walker got help from the Hornets bench as Lin and Kaminsky were able to contribute.

Oklahoma City then kicked it into gear and turned the five-point lead into a 20-point advantage. Singler helped the cause with back-to-back 3-pointers.

Singler has gained more playing time because of his defense, but he displayed his offensive prowess Wednesday by making all four of his field-goal attempts, including three 3-pointers.

NOTES: The combination of G Russell Westbrook and F Kevin Durant is producing at an all-time high for the Thunder. Their net efficiency of plus-17.4 is the highest it has been in the last five seasons. The previous high was plus-12.5 in 2012-13. ... Hornets F Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has been cleared for full-contact practice. He has been out of the lineup since Oct. 3 when he suffered a torn labrum in his right shoulder during a preseason game. ... Forbes Magazine released its annual list of the most valuable teams in the NBA and the Thunder placed No. 17 with a value of $950 million. The Hornets are No. 26 with a $750 million price tag. ... Charlotte G Jeremy Lamb missed the game with a sprained big toe. ...Durant explains what it's like to watch Westbrook dunk. "It's kind of like when you play dodgeball and you hit somebody in the face, and you throw the ball so hard at someone's face and it's like 'boom!'" Durant said. "Sometimes I get a little nervous and afraid that he's going to hurt his wrist at some point because he's throwing the ball in the rim so hard. But that's who he is, man; he plays with that aggression and takes it out on the rim."
Top Game Performances
 
Charlotte   Oklahoma City
Kemba Walker 21 Scoring Kevin Durant 26
Frank Kaminsky 4 Assists Russell Westbrook 15
Nicolas Batum 6 Rebounds Steven Adams 10
Jeremy Lin 4 Free Throws Made Kevin Durant 7
P.J. Hairston 2 Steals Russell Westbrook 5
Frank Kaminsky 1 Blocks Steven Adams 1
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Charlotte 95 42.0 9-27 18-21 17 34 2 8 16
Oklahoma City 109 47.0 9-24 22-30 28 51 3 9 20
Upcoming Games
  • Oklahoma City will play their next game on the road against Dallas. The Thunder have a W/L % of .750 after a win and .667 after a loss.
  • Charlotte will play their next game on the road against Orlando. The Hornets have a W/L % of .474 after a win and .435 after a loss.