Russell Westbrook's triple-double leads Thunder past 76ers
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Russell Westbrook had his second straight triple-double and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Philadelphia 76ers 102-85 on Friday night.
Westbrook stepped up while top scorer Kevin Durant sat out with a strained left hamstring. Westbrook finished with 21 points, a career-high 17 rebounds and 11 assists for the 21st triple-double of his career. It was his third in his past four games against Philadelphia.
Dion Waiters scored 14 points and Enes Kanter had 13 for the Thunder, who won their third straight.
Christian Wood scored 15 points and Nerlens Noel had 13 points and 11 rebounds for the 76ers, who lost their 19th in a row.
Philadelphia's Jahlil Okafor, who had led all rookies with 20.6 points per game, finished with six on 3-for-18 shooting.
A fast break slam by Andre Roberson put the Thunder ahead 53-47 early in the third quarter. The 76ers rallied, and Hollis Thompson's corner 3-pointer cut Oklahoma City's lead to 62-61.
Westbrook's steal and slam with just under two minutes left in the third pushed Oklahoma City ahead 66-61 and bumped his point total into double figures. He got the triple-double early in the fourth quarter on an assist to Waiters for a 3-pointer that gave the Thunder a 79-65 lead. It was just the second time this season the Thunder held an opponent under 100 points.
TIP-INS:
76ers: Philadelphia shot 53 percent in the first quarter to lead 24-18. ... The 76ers shot just 24 percent in the second period to fall behind 48-43. ... Committed 18 turnovers. ... Noel missed the previous two games with soreness in his left wrist.
Thunder: In the second quarter, Kanter, a 6-foot-11 center, grabbed a defensive rebound, then went coast-to-coast for a slam. ... Had six offensive rebounds and eight second-chance points in the second quarter. ... Westbrook, who leads the league in assists, had at least 10 for the sixth straight game. ... Improved to 28-28 the past two seasons without Durant.
UP NEXT:
76ers play at San Antonio on Saturday.
Thunder host Boston on Sunday.
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