Rapid reaction: Oklahoma City pummels the Kings 105-95 in Sacramento

By Anthony Slater – Aslater@opubco.com - @anthonyVslater

In what will likely be the franchise’s final game in Sacramento, OKC throttled the Kings 105-95 on Friday night. Here’s some rapid reaction:

Turning point

The Thunder came out sloppy, falling into an early 14-point hole, their biggest deficit of the road trip, and looked destined for another late-night West Coast battle. But then OKC started playing like OKC and the Kings started playing like the Kings. Kevin Martin entered the game and immediately dropped in 15 points, sparking a 49-28 run to end the first half.

It was over when…

…Russell Westbrook came out dropping dimes in the second half, tying a Thunder record with eight assists in the third quarter alone. His passes were sharp, smart and crisp, constantly threading the ball through tight windows for beautiful backbreaking assists. Sacramento made a commendable effort in the fourth, but this one was decided before the third quarter was done.

Star of the game – Russell Westbrook

His line – 7/18 shooting, 18 points and a season-high 14 assists. Not his greatest shooting night, but one of his best showings as a true point guard. He took over the game, providing a nice bounceback to his ugly showing against Golden State on Wednesday night (3/16 shooting and six turnovers).

Stats of note

-Kevin Durant is now sixth in the league with 65 dunks this season. Everyone ahead of him is a center. LeBron has 60.
-The Thunder is now 30-1 when leading after three quarters this season.
-Kevin Durant had double-digit rebounds for the first time in 19 games. He ended with 24 points and 11 rebounds.
-Russell Westbrook had his third double-double this month. His 14 assists were a season-high.