(Reuters) - Kevin Durant scored 29 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder cooled the surging Miami Heat with a 96-85 triumph on Wednesday for their fifth straight win.
Durant, the NBA's leading scorer, won his one-on-one duel with fellow All-Star forward LeBron James as the Thunder snapped the Heat's three-game winning streak."My team mates always put me in great positions to score. I've been working out as hard as I can this season and the shots are starting to fall for me," Durant told reporters after adding seven rebounds and six assists.
"It was a great win for the Oklahoma City Thunder."
Russell Westbrook added 18 points in the winning effort and Oklahoma City used defense to contain Miami which shot just 38 percent from the field.
Heat pair Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh scored 21 points each while James finished with 19 for Miami, which fell three games behind the top spot in the Eastern Conference held jointly by the Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls.
"Tough game, and they beat us in a lot of the tough-area categories, particularly on the glass," Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said.
The Heat (46-22) had responded to a five-game losing streak with a trio of impressive wins, including a 30-point blowout over the NBA-best San Antonio Spurs on Monday, but were undone by a poor second-half effort against Oklahoma City.
Miami managed just 40 points after the interval to allow the Thunder to turn a one-point halftime lead into a double-digit advantage.
Oklahoma City began the fourth quarter with an 11-2 run that gave the visitors a 78-66 lead with 7:39 remaining.
The Northwest Division-leading Thunder (44-23) have won eight of their last nine games and are fourth in the Western Conference.
Center Kendrick Perkins played in his second game for the Thunder after he missed nine contests with a knee injury since the team acquired him in a trade with the Boston Celtics.
Perkins played limited minutes but is expected to provide a strong defensive presence.
Durant, the NBA's leading scorer, won his one-on-one duel with fellow All-Star forward LeBron James as the Thunder snapped the Heat's three-game winning streak."My team mates always put me in great positions to score. I've been working out as hard as I can this season and the shots are starting to fall for me," Durant told reporters after adding seven rebounds and six assists.
"It was a great win for the Oklahoma City Thunder."
Russell Westbrook added 18 points in the winning effort and Oklahoma City used defense to contain Miami which shot just 38 percent from the field.
Heat pair Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh scored 21 points each while James finished with 19 for Miami, which fell three games behind the top spot in the Eastern Conference held jointly by the Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls.
"Tough game, and they beat us in a lot of the tough-area categories, particularly on the glass," Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said.
The Heat (46-22) had responded to a five-game losing streak with a trio of impressive wins, including a 30-point blowout over the NBA-best San Antonio Spurs on Monday, but were undone by a poor second-half effort against Oklahoma City.
Miami managed just 40 points after the interval to allow the Thunder to turn a one-point halftime lead into a double-digit advantage.
Oklahoma City began the fourth quarter with an 11-2 run that gave the visitors a 78-66 lead with 7:39 remaining.
The Northwest Division-leading Thunder (44-23) have won eight of their last nine games and are fourth in the Western Conference.
Center Kendrick Perkins played in his second game for the Thunder after he missed nine contests with a knee injury since the team acquired him in a trade with the Boston Celtics.
Perkins played limited minutes but is expected to provide a strong defensive presence.
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