Kevin Durant scored a season-high 44 points to pace the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 114-106 victory over the visiting Denver Nuggets on Christmas night.
Durant made 14-of-20 shots from the field – he was 4-for-7 from 3-point range – and was 12-of-15 from the free-throw line as Oklahoma City improved to 21-10.
James Harden added 21 points off the bench for the Thunder.
Chauncey Billups scored a season-high 30 points for Denver (16-12).
The Nuggets were without Carmelo Anthony for the second straight game after the star forward left the team after the death of his sister earlier in the week.
Durant scored 21 of Oklahoma City’s 32 points in the third quarter.
Nene had 21 points and 12 rebounds and Ty Lawson scored 19 points for the Nuggets.
Russell Westbrook added 19 points for Oklahoma City.
Billups was 10-for-16 from the field and hit all seven of his free-throw attempts.
Denver | Oklahoma City | |
Chauncey Billups 30 | Scoring | Kevin Durant 44 |
Ty Lawson 5 | Assists | Jeff Green 6 |
Nene 12 | Rebounds | Nenad Krstic 8 |
Chauncey Billups 7 | Free Throws Made | Kevin Durant 12 |
Chauncey Billups 2 | Steals | Russell Westbrook 3 |
Nene 1 | Blocks | Serge Ibaka 3 |
Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
Denver | 106 | 52.9 | 8-17 | 24-30 | 15 | 35 | 1 | 5 | 18 |
Oklahoma City | 114 | 49.4 | 6-17 | 28-35 | 22 | 36 | 8 | 10 | 9 |