Paul George and Russell Westbrook shine as Thunder complete comeback to snap Nets' four-game win streak

Benyam Kidane

Paul George and Russell Westbrook shine as Thunder complete comeback to snap Nets' four-game win streak image

The Oklahoma City Thunder turned it on late to snap the Brooklyn Nets' four-game win streak, winning 108-96 at Chesapeake Arena.

Westbrook finished the night with 31 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists — his 26th triple-double of the season — while George added 25 points on an efficient 9-of-18 from the floor, including 3-of-6 from 3-point range.


Trailing by as many as 17 points in the first half, the Thunder came out of the break with a renewed energy, pouring in 38 points in the period, with Westbrook (11 points) and George (13 points) taking over the quarter. 

OKC opened the period on a tear, going on a 20-6 run in the opening 3:41 of the quarter, to take a 80-78 lead into the fourth.

Seven quick points from Spencer Dinwiddie gave Brooklyn back the lead. With the game in the balance, OKC then reeled off a 14-0 run to shut the door on the Nets, with big man Steven Adams causing plenty of trouble inside, throwing down a pair of alley-oops. 

Adams finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and two steals on the night.


 

A 3-pointer from Westbrook put the Thunder up 100-87 with 4:51 remaining, capping off a sizzling offensive stretch in the fourth. He recorded seven points, five rebounds and five assists in the fourth quarter.

“It starts with me,” Westbrook said post-game. “It’s my job to bring the energy every night. It was my fault in the first half and I thought we did a good job of picking up in the second half.” 

For the Nets, Dinwiddie led all scorers with 25 points off the bench, while D'Angelo Russell chipped in 14 points and seven assists. Wednesday's loss was the first game of a tough seven-game road trip for the Nets, who visit the Utah Jazz on Saturday.

Benyam Kidane

Benyam Kidane Photo

Benyam Kidane is a senior NBA editor and has been covering the league for The Sporting News since 2016. In his spare time you can find him watching Allen Iverson highlights on repeat.