Durant Leads Thunder Past Lakers In Bryant's Final Road Game
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Kevin Durant scored 34 points and Russell Westbrook had a triple-double by halftime to help the Thunder beat the Los Angeles Lakers 112-79 on Monday night in the final road game of Kobe Bryant's 20-year career.
Bryant looked vintage in the first quarter with 13 points, but he went scoreless the rest of the way.
Plenty of Lakers fans lined up at Chesapeake Energy Arena more than two hours before the start, and the crowd chanted Bryant's name as they waited during pregame warmups. The Thunder honored him with a video before the tip.
Westbrook stole the show in the second quarter, clinching his league-leading 18th triple-double of the season, and the 37th of his career. He finished with 13 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds.
Westbrook finished the first half with 11 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists as the Thunder led 58-48 at the break. He clinched the triple-double on an assist to Anthony Morrow for a 3-pointer with 11.9 seconds left in the second quarter. According to STATS, no player has clinched a triple-double before halftime since it began keeping track in 2002-03.
Durant scored 16 points during a 26-6 run to start the second half, and the Thunder led 89-61 at the end of the third quarter.
Bryant sat down for good in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, the crowd started chanting "We want Kobe," and "Kobe," but the Thunder had the game well in hand.
COURTSIDE
Oklahoma G Buddy Hield, who led the Sooners to the Final Four, sat in the front row. Bryant watched when Hield scored 37 points in the Sooners' Elite Eight win against Oregon.
TIP-INS
Lakers: Bryant missed his first two shots, but made a 3-pointer about five minutes into the game. ... C Roy Hibbert was called for a Flagrant 1 foul in the third quarter on a shot by Steven Adams. ... Bryant scored 42 points in his final playoff game, a loss in Oklahoma City on May 21, 2012.
Thunder: Westbrook and Julius Randle were called for double technicals in the first quarter. ... Adams finished with 13 points and 15 rebounds. ... Remained unbeaten this season when Westbrook gets a triple-double.
UP NEXT:
Lakers host Jazz on Wednesday.
Thunder play at Spurs on Tuesday.
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