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April 26, 2010

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Home » Sports » Basketball

Thunder tie Lakers, Magic hot

Source: Agencies | April 26, 2010, Monday | Print Edition

THE Oklahoma City Thunder routed the National Basketball Association defending champions Los Angeles Lakers 110-89 on Saturday to surprisingly tie their Western Conference series at 2-2.

The Thunder roared to a 12-point first-quarter lead in Oklahoma City and never let up in winning their second consecutive game against the top-seeded Lakers.

Elsewhere, Jameer Nelson scored 32 points to guide the Orlando Magic to a 90-86 win over the Charlotte Bobcats and take a 3-0 lead in their Eastern Conference series. The Magic can wrap up the tie tomorrow.

Charlotte's Stephen Jackson scored 19 points, but was six of 18 from the field and missed a key three-pointer in the final minute.

Also in the East, the Milwaukee Bucks beat Atlanta 107-89 to trim the Hawks' series lead to 2-1.

John Salmons scored 22 points on nine-of-11 shooting and Milwaukee never let up after a hot start.

The Bucks shot 68 percent in the first quarter and 51 percent for the game, and were never seriously threatened after building a 19-point, first-half lead.

Veteran Kurt Thomas had eight points, 13 rebounds and four stitches and rookie Brandon Jennings added 13 points for Milwaukee.

Joe Johnson scored 25 for Atlanta. Game 4 is tomorrow in Milwaukee.

Back in Oklahoma, the Thunder's fast start left the Lakers in a daze as the 12-point margin grew to 29 by the fourth thanks to an aggressive approach.

"They took it to us," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said.

The Lakers had planned to work the ball inside into big men Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum but it was Kevin Durant, who scored 22 points, and Russell Westbrook, who added 18, that stole the headlines for the upstart Thunder.

"You don't expect that," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. "These are the defending champs with a lot of pride and a lot of talented players."

The Lakers' Kobe Bryant was limited to only 12 points with Gasol and Bynum sharing Los Angeles scoring honors with 13 each.

Game 5 of the series is in Los Angeles tomorrow.

"It's all on us," said Durant. "We control our own destiny at this point."

Elsewhere in the Western Conference, Brandon Roy came back from knee surgery to help the Portland Trail Blazers defeat the visiting Phoenix Suns 96-87 and level their series at 2-2.

LaMarcus Aldridge had 31 points and 11 rebounds for Portland. Roy, who did not start the game, came off the bench and finished with 10 points.

Amare Stoudemire led the Suns with 26 points. The series returns to Phoenix tomorrow.



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