The halftime score may not have indicated it, but the Thunder vs. Mavericks game got off to a pretty entertaining start.
OKC led 65-42 at the break despite losing star guard Russell Westbrook to an ejection late in the second quarter. Westbrook and Mavs forward Charlie Villanueva were tossed minutes apart following two confrontations between Westbrook and Dallas point guard J.J. Barea.
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The undermanned Mavs lost Villanueva with 5:16 remaining in the quarter after he grabbed Westbrook and wrestled with a majority of the Thunder team following the first Barea-Westbrook tie-up. His ejection gave Dallas just eight active players.
Charlie Villanueva ejected after grabbing Russell Westbrook, wrestling with Ibaka. pic.twitter.com/mBItciz9hv
— Steven J. Gaither (@stevenjgaither) January 14, 2016 Westbrook was next to go after he and Barea tangled again with 1:20 remaining in the period. A stiff-arm got him tossed.
Aaaaand Westbrook's gone... pic.twitter.com/GQ0Pkqd06n
— Steven J. Gaither (@stevenjgaither) January 14, 2016 Westbrook finished the game with no points, but Kevin Durant compensated with 21 in the first half and 29 overall. The Thunder cruised to a 108-89 victory.