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The Sports Network TSN
(Sports Network) - The Oklahoma City Thunder shoot for a fourth straight win
this evening when they welcome the Boston Celtics to Chesapeake Energy Arena.
After combining for 91 points on Sunday, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook
totaled 62 together on Monday as Oklahoma City held off the New Orleans
Hornets to earn their 10th straight home victory with a 101-93 decision.
Durant and Westbrook netted 31 points apiece to lead the Thunder, who recorded
10 straight wins at home for the first time since a 12-game win streak from
February 22-April 2, 1998, when the team was known as the Seattle SuperSonics.
"I thought we came out with great energy," Thunder head coach Scott Brooks
said. "It was such an emotional game [on Sunday], and our guys came out and
responded well."
The Thunder, who will host the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday in their final
game before the All-Star break, are 13-1 in their building this season.
Oklahoma's terrific home play will be put to the test tonight against the
Celtics, who have won all three games at Chesapeake Energy Arena since the
Thunder relocated from Seattle. In all Boston has won four straight and six of
nine on the road in this series.
The Celtics, though, enter tonight's tilt riding a four-game losing streak
after dropping an 89-73 decision to the Dallas Mavericks on Monday.
Paul Pierce led Boston with 20 points, while Ray Allen contributed in 15 in
defeat. Avery Bradley added 12 points in place of Rajon Rondo, who was
suspended two games by the NBA "for throwing a ball at an official and
striking him in the chest" during Sunday's setback against the Pistons.
Boston was also without Kevin Garnett due to personal reasons. To make matters
worse, the Celtics were also without Brandon Bass (knee) and lost starters
Jermaine O'Neal (sprained left wrist) and Chris Wilcox (right adductor strain)
in the third quarter.
"They were two men down without Rondo and K.G., so a different ball club,"
Terry said. "They tried to junk up the game and I thought we did an excellent
job of being patient and getting what we wanted on the offensive end."
Rondo will finish serving his suspension tonight, while the statuses of
Garnett, Bass, O'Neal and Wilcox are up in the air.
The Sports Network