(The Sports Xchange) – Kevin Durant scored 24 points to lead Oklahoma City to a 106-90 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers at the Chesapeake Energy Arena on Wednesday as the Thunder rolled to a sixth consecutive triumph.
“They are very physical,” Blazers forward Mason Plumlee told reporters after the Thunder owned a 48-34 scoring advantage in the paint and out-rebounded their opponents 51-47.
“Their inside players are focused on rebounding and they are focused on defending. When that is your mindset, you really have to lock in as the opposition and keep them off the glass. We didn’t do a good job of that to start the game.”
Durant shot 8-of-14 from the field to go along with seven rebounds and four assists as six Thunder players scored in doubles figures, including guard Dion Waiters, who came off the bench to pour in 18 points and grab six rebounds.
Guard Russell Westbrook and forward Serge Ibaka each scored 13 points for Oklahoma City (17-8).
“We feel like we can get into the paint whenever we want,” Durant said. “Our bigs did a good job of rebounding and finishing. We knew we could get anything we wanted if we were aggressive. In the second half we did that.”
