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Durant scores 41; Thunder close out Nuggets 100-97

Jeff Latzke
AP Sports Writer
Vail, CO Colorado
Denver Nuggets center Nene, center, of Brazil, falls between Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka, top, and guard James Harden after blocking a shot by Harden in the second quarter of Game 5 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series in Oklahoma City, Wednesday, April 27, 2011. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
AP | AP

OKLAHOMA CITY – Kevin Durant matched his best playoff performance with 41 points, including the final nine for Oklahoma City, and the Thunder closed out their first-round series against the Denver Nuggets with a 100-97 victory in Game 5 on Wednesday night.

The Thunder overcame a nine-point deficit in the final 4 minutes, and Durant provided all the offense down the stretch to send the Oklahoma City franchise to its first playoff series win since it was still in Seattle in 2005.

Durant put the Thunder ahead to stay on two free throws with 46 seconds left. Serge Ibaka then swatted Nene’s dunk attempt for his ninth block of the game.



Durant then added a 19-foot jumper to put the Thunder up 100-97 with 12 seconds left.

Durant blocked J.R. Smith’s shot at the tie from the left wing, and Arron Afflalo missed one last attempt at a tying 3-pointer at the buzzer.

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Afflalo, who missed the first two games of the series with a hamstring strain, led Denver with 15 points and Kenyon Martin added 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Russell Westbrook had 14 points on 3-for-15 shooting, one game after he’d drawn criticism for attempting 30 shots.

When the final horn sounded, Ibaka charged across the court thumping his chest before finding James Harden at midcourt to give him a hug. He also celebrated with Durant before the NBA’s scoring champion stopped to give his mother and grandmother a kiss in their courtside seats.

The Thunder will face either San Antonio or Memphis in the second round.

It took one last charge to get there and prevent a tense Game 6 in Denver on Friday night.

Wilson Chandler and Ty Lawson had driving layups during an 8-2 run that pushed Denver’s lead to 91-82 with 4:15 to play. Chandler raced to the rim when Westbrook didn’t switch over to him off of a screen, and Lawson blew past Durant for his easy basket.

Thunder coach Scott Brooks put his rim protector, Ibaka, back into the game and the defense tightened up from there.

Durant hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key to start bringing the Thunder back, and he also connected on a leaner in the lane as Oklahoma City reeled off nine straight points to tie it on Harden’s 3-pointer from the left side with 1:50 remaining.

Durant finally put Oklahoma City on top with a three-point play with 1:05 remaining, connecting on a one-handed shot as he got knocked down in the lane.

Raymond Felton put Denver back ahead with two free throws after he tweaked his left ankle and had to be helped to the Nuggets bench. He walked gingerly to the line and hit both shots to make it 97-96, but that turned out to be the Nuggets’ last lead.

It appeared the Nuggets would get one last chance to go ahead when referee Bill Spooner momentarily awarded them possession with 14.8 seconds left after Durant took an inbounds pass and whirled with the ball near the midcourt line. He then reversed his own call and gave the ball back to Oklahoma City, setting up Durant’s last jumper.

Despite dreadful 37 percent shooting, Oklahoma City stuck with the Nuggets with a sizable edge in free-throw opportunities and offensive rebounds.

The Thunder made 34 of 42 foul shots – doubling the number of attempts Denver got – and also had 22 second-chance points off of 16 offensive boards.

Denver built a 24-15 lead late in the first quarter after holding the Thunder without a basket for 5 1/2 minutes, only to let Oklahoma City charge back with a 15-4 rush spanning the break between the first two periods.

Eric Maynor hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key at the first quarter buzzer, and Harden hit a second chance 3 in the opening minutes of the second. Maynor’s driving finger roll put Oklahoma City up 33-30 with 8:48 left before halftime.

Lawson and Al Harrington hit back-to-back 3-pointers to end the Thunder’s run, and then neither team could gain any separation.

It was 50-50 at halftime, and neither team led by more than four points from the start of the second quarter through the end of the third. Chandler’s 23-footer to open the fourth, and

NOTES: Fans in the sellout crowd got free navy blue T-shirts that ended up matching the color of Denver’s alternate uniforms. … Lawson had made his first 19 free throws in the series before missing twice with 2:18 left in the game. … Denver fell to 4-6 in Game 5s when trailing 1-3.


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