Bballzz

Westbrook, Durant lead Thunder past Cavs 95-75


Russell Westbrook dunked on the Cavaliers. Byron Scott slammed them even harder.

Westbrook began a personal 12-point scoring tear by crushing a two-handed jam in the third quarter that awakened his listless Thunder teammates and led Oklahoma City to a 95-75 win Sunday over Cleveland, leaving Scott to doubt his team’s toughness.

“I’m really starting to question what type of heart we have as a basketball team,” the coach said.

Westbrook scored 14 of his 20 points in the third quarter, helping the Thunder open a 20-point cushion and coast to an easy win. He began his one-man sideshow by delivering a dunk that stunned the Thunder, the Cavs, ushers, vendors, mascots and 19,000 fans.
Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Byron Scott watches from the bench during the fourth quarter of a 95-75 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in an NBA basketball game, Sunday, March 13, 2011, in Cleveland.

“It caught us all by surprise,” Kevin Durant(notes) said. “That was a big-time dunk. I’ve been waiting for that one.”

Westbrook followed it up with five consecutive layups, spinning around or blowing past any Cleveland defender daring to cover him.

Scott was incensed that none of his players bothered putting a body on Westbrook.

“It was too easy,” he said. “He’s a great player, but it gets to a point as a team where enough is enough and somebody has to knock him on his (rear end). It’s as simple as that, and that’s where the heart part comes in. Or are you just going to keep backing down and taking it?”

Durant, the NBA’s leading scorer, had 19 points—nine below his average— but the Thunder hardly needed their superstar while improving to 19-6 against Eastern Conference teams.