Matt Bonner leads San Antonio Spurs past Oklahoma City Thunder
The San Antonio Spurs bagged their seventh-straight win when they defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder, 117-104, behind Matt Bonner’s deadly outside sniping on Sunday 14 November at the Ford
Center in Oklahoma.
Bonner led the Spurs attack with his 21 points on an impressive 7-for-7 shooting from beyond the arc, highlighted by three three-point daggers that sparked a 21-8 run by the Spurs in the
final period.
“With each consecutive shot, the hoop is just getting bigger and bigger,” said Bonner, whose 7-for-7 shooting is two three-pointers away from tying the record for most three-pointers made
without a miss. “It was just one of those nights where I was just feeling it.”
Tony Parker also had a share of the spotlight as the French point guard scored finished with 24 points on 9-for-15 shooting to go with five assists, while Manu Ginobili added 21 points for
the Spurs, who never led in the entire first half.
Down by five points at the half, the Spurs had a strong start in the third period as they quickly tied the game at 68, behind DeJuan Blair’s seven-straight points in the first two minutes
of the second half. The two teams traded leads in the quarter, and the Spurs managed to take a two-point lead heading into the final period.
San Antonio leaned on the momentum they had in the third period as they slowly pulled away in the final quarter, behind their hot shooting from the perimeter led by Bonner’s three three-point
bombs in the first five minutes of the period.
“They were just getting to the basket at will and making shots from the perimeter,” said Thunder head coach Scott Brooks. “That's a deadly dose of offensive basketball.”
Kevin Durant had 23 points and seven rebounds, while Russell Westbrook scored 19 points and dished out eight assists for the Thunder, who continued to struggle defensively, giving up more
than 100 points in seven of their first nine games this season.
“We're having trouble stopping the basketball,” said Brooks. “When you play against a good team, when you make one mistake they capitalize on it. That's what a good team, an experienced team
will do to you.”
James Harden had 14 points and five rebounds, while Jeff Green, who missed the team’s last three games, racked up 12 points, but he did not played in the final 18 minutes of the game because
of the sprained left ankle that is still bothering him.
“It just got a little sore,” said Green. “It's not something I want to try to push through. I do not want to drive it to the point where I re-aggravate it too much and then I am out longer
than I was before. I didn't want to push it too much.”
Oklahoma City, who were out-rebounded 45-36, dropped their fourth-straight game against the Spurs, who are now in the second spot in the western conference behind the New Orleans Hornets
(8-0).
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