Oklahoma City took hold of the series last night with a redemptive performance from Kevin Durant. The 2014 MVP scored 34 points and Russell Westbrook added 26 points on the night leading the Thunder to a 131-102 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.
This was the first game on the road for the Thunder and they used the three-pointer to their advantage. Coach Billy Donovan praised the team’s shooting, making 15 3-pointers.
The Thunder bench pulled their weight throughout the game as well. Enes Kanter came off the bench for 22 minutes of playing time and racked up 21 points. Dion Waiters also came off the bench, shooting 4-8 from beyond the arch and finished the night with 19 points.
Kevin Durant noted that the bench stepped up and continues to play confidently.
Oklahoma City leads the series 2-1. Game 4 of the series is back in Dallas Saturday.
Note: First time in Thunder history that more than 1 reserve scored 19 or more points in a playoff game. (Kanter 21, Waiters 19)
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) April 22, 2016
The Toronto and Indiana series continues to go back-and-forth.
Last night DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry fueled the Raptors to a big win in enemy territory. The two All-Star guards had 21 points each.
Center Jonas Valanciunas had himself a ballgame with 14 rebounds. Valanciunas dominated the middle handily for Toronto and limited Indiana’s second chances.
Paul George’s 25 points couldn’t offset the Raptors’ offensive success. George said after the game that they didn’t take care of business they way they wanted to.
The Pacers will look to even the series back up when they return to the court Saturday. The Raptors lead the series 2-1.
Tonight's By The Numbers presented by @SentryInvest. #WeTheNorth pic.twitter.com/qpljGCSfUt
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) April 22, 2016