KANSAN.COM / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / MONDAY. APRIL 26. 2010 / SPORTS
9B
2010 NBA PLAYOFFS
Durant, No.8 Thunder rout No.1 Lakers, even up series
ASSOCIATED PRESS
OKLAHOMA CITY — At the time last summer when Kevin Durant suggested the Oklahoma City Thunder should be shooting for the playoffs this season, it was considered an outlandish statement.
But look at them now.
Durant scored 22 points, Russell Westbrook added 18 points and eight rebounds, and the Thunder evened the first-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers with a 110-89 victory in Game 4 on Saturday night.
"A lot of people didn't expect us to be here and once we got here, people were saying we were going to get swept and a lot of different things." Durant said. "We knew what we were capable of and how hard we play every day and how hard we practice every day.
"With those attributes, I think that we can go far as a team. It's all on us. We control our own destiny at this point."
For the second straight game, the Thunder capitalized on a significant edge at the foul line and on the boards despite the presence of the Lakers' 7-foot tandem of Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum.
Oklahoma City never trailed after the opening 5 minutes and led by double digits for the final
three quarters in a thorough dismantling.
"This is as big as a game can possibly be," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. "You're playing against one of the best teams in the playoffs on your home floor. Like I told the guys after the game, the Lakers did a good job the first two games. They took care of their home court. We did the same thing."
Bynum had 13 points and 10 rebounds, and Gasol also had 13 points to lead Los Angeles. Kobe Bryant had 12 points after spending the entire first quarter deferring to his teammates and the whole fourth quarter on the bench with three other L.A. starters.
"I was managing the game exactly how I wanted to. Unfortunately, it got away from us," Bryant said. "By them getting out in transition and getting those buckets, I wasn't able to do what I normally do at the end of the game and close games out."
Lakers coach Phil jackson stood by Bryant's decision to wait nearly 15 minutes into the game — and until his team was down by 15 — to take his first shot, but said "It was a pretty good meltdown" in the second half.
"Our expectation is we wanted to win both of these games and be done with it. I think that's
GAME 4 Saturday, at Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City 110 Los Angeles 89 (Series tied,2-2)
NEXT GAME:
Tuesday, at L.A.
9:30 p.m., TNT
every team's mindset coming on the road being up 2-0." Bryant said. "It's not the reality of the situation. We've got a tough fight, and it should be fun."
Game 5 is Tuesday night in Los Angeles.
GAME 3
Saturday,
at Milwaukee
Milwaukee 107,
Atlanta 89
(Atlanta leads series 2-1)
Milwaukee builds and maintains lead
NEXT GAME:
Monday, at Milwaukee
7:30 p.m., NBA TV
MILWAUKEE — John Salmons scored 22 points on 9-of-11 shooting and the Milwaukee Bucks never let up after a hot start in 107-89 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night.
The Bucks shot 68 percent in the first quarter and 51 percent for the game following a three-day layoff and were never seriously threatened after building a 19-point, first-half lead.
Atlanta still leads the series 2-1 after two double-digit
victories at home, when the Bucks looked overmatched without the injured Andrew Bogut.
But veteran Kurt Thomas had eight points, 13 rebounds and four stitches, rookie Brandon Jennings added 13 points and Milwaukee proved that the Hawks may have to "Fear the Deer" after all.
Milwaukee led by as many as 28 in the fourth as the Hawks shot 39 percent for the game.
Associated Press
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Wade scores 46, Heat avoid sweep
ASSOCIATED PRESS
MIAMI — Dwyane Wade isn't ready for the offseason. Not even close.
And thanks to another record-setting effort by their star, the Miami Heat suddenly have life in their series against the Boston Celtics.
Undeterred by talk that this might have been his final home game in Miami, Wade set franchise playoff records by scoring 46 points, 30 in the second half, and the Heat kept their season alive by beating the Celtics 101-92 on Sunday in Game 4 of their Eastern
Conference first-round series.
The Celtics still lead 3-1, and get a second shot at the clincher on Tuesday in Boston.
But Wade gave the Heat hope.
Rajon Rondo led the Celtics with 23 points, Kevin Garnett had 18 points and 12 rebounds, Paul Pierce scored 16 and Ray Allen added 15 for Boston, which was bidding for its first 4-0 sweep of a series since 1986.
Quentin Richardson scored 20 points and Michael Beasley added 15 for the Heat, who wasted an 18-point first-half lead before digging deep to extend the season.
GAME 4
Sunday, at Miami
Miami 101,
Boston 92
(Boston leads series 3-1)
OTHER WEEKEND SCORES
NEXT GAME:
Tuesday, at Boston
6 p.m., NBATV
Cleveland 128, Chicago 98
GAME4 Sunday, at Chicago (Cleveland leads series 3-1)
NEXT GAME:
Tuesday, at Cleveland
7 p.m., TNT
Orlando 90, Charlotte 86
GAME 3 Saturday,at Charlotte (Orlando leads series 3-0)
NEXT GAME:
Monday, at Charlotte
7 p.m., TNT
GAME 4 Saturday, at Portland
(Series tied, 2-2)
Portland 96
Phoenix 87
NEXT GAME:
Monday, at Phoenix
9:30 p.m., TNT
San Antonio 92 Dallas 89
GAME 4
Sunday,
at San Antonio
GAME 4
Sunday, at Utah
(San Antonio leads series 3-1)
(Utah leads series 3-1)
NEXT GAME:
Tuesday, at Dallas
8:30 p.m., NBATV
Utah 117,
Denver 106
NEXT GAME:
Wednesday, at
Denver
TBD, TNT
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