Durant, Westbrook post 20p and 10a each for 1st time in OKC win

The Oklahoma City Thunder have heavily depended upon the talents of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook pretty much since they entered the league. It’s a fine strategy, of course, because those two superstars happen to be really good. There are questions as to exactly how far Durant and Westbrook can take the team by itself, and first-year head coach Billy Donovan was hired in part to find a way to bring more balance to the offense. But there’s little doubt that Durant and Westbrook can carry a heavy load, because they’ve proven it time and time again.

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It was both impressive and a little surprising, then, to see the Thunder’s dynamic duo unlock a new achievement in Thursday’s 107-94 win over the visiting Atlanta Hawks at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Durant and Westbrook each put up at least 20 points and 10 assists for the first time in their eight seasons together, which seems like something that would have happened earlier given their history of putting up huge numbers. Surprise aside, it’s a major accomplishment.

Durant nabbed most of the attention with the seventh triple-double of his career and first since March 2014. He logged a team-high 25 points on customarily efficient shooting (8-of-14 FG, 2-of-2 3FG, 7-of-7 FT) and added 12 rebounds and 10 assists. Take a look:

Westbrook did not join him with a second Thunder triple-double, but he wasn’t far off with 23 points (8-of-17 FG, 3-of-4 3FG, 4-of-6 FT), 10 assists, six boards, and three steals:

Reserve wing Kent Bazemore (22 points on 7-of-12 FG and 4-of-7 3FG) paced the Hawks, who trailed 60-49 at the half before using a 12-2 run early in the third quarter to make it a three-point game. Yet the Thunder regained control and managed to get the lead back up to double digits in the final minutes of the fourth. They’ve now won three straight and sit in third in the West at 14-8.

Naturally, one nice win is not going to quell concerns over OKC’s reliance on two players, especially when only two other teammates (Serge Ibaka with 23) offered much of an offensive threat. However, this notable night for Durant and Westbrook serves as a reminder that their excellence gives the Thunder a very high floor to build from. It’s been a disappointment to see the team deal with the same issues as ever so far this season, but this kind of star power can cover a lot of gaps. Other contenders look in far better shape to win a title, but the Thunder may be the one squad that seems capable of grabbing a championship by accident.

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