Field Level Media
Jan 28, 2018
Carmelo Anthony scored his 25,000th career point, Russell Westbrook notched a triple-double, and the Oklahoma City Thunder posted their seventh straight victory by overwhelming the slumping Detroit Pistons 121-108 on Saturday.
Anthony needed 17 points to reach the milestone and got there by making a free throw with 8:30 remaining in the third quarter. He finished with 21 points and became the 21st player in NBA history to hit that mark, as well as the 25th in NBA and ABA combined history.
Westbrook racked up 31 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists. Paul George supplied 26 points and Steven Adams added 13 points and seven rebounds.
Thunder guard Andre Roberson was wheeled off in a stretcher with 4:33 left in the third quarter after he slipped running toward the basket. Roberson reportedly suffered a ruptured patellar tendon on the play.
Tobias Harris led six Pistons in double figures with 21 points but Detroit dropped its seventh straight. Reserves Reggie Bullock (16), Ish Smith (15), Boban Marjanovic (14) and Luke Kennard (11) also reached double digits in points. Andre Drummond chipped in 12 points and 13 rebounds.
Oklahoma City led 69-57 at halftime with George, Anthony and Westbrook combining for 47 points. The Thunder shot 59.2 percent and made just four turnovers before the break.
George scored 16 first-quarter points as Oklahoma City opened up a 36-24 lead. The Pistons' bench allowed them to climb back within four points, but the Thunder used a 16-4 outburst late in the half to extend the advantage back to double digits. Anthony scored six of those points.
The Pistons went scoreless for the first 4:36 of the second half while the Thunder extended their lead to 27, 84-57. Westbrook contributed six points and two assists during the 15-0 outburst. Detroit scored the next seven points but never recovered as Oklahoma City led 98-81 after three quarters.
Behind its bench, Detroit got as close as nine points in the fourth but the deficit was too much to overcome.
--Field Level Media