OKLAHOMA CITY —
The Denver Nuggets were riding their longest winning streak of the season when they strolled into Oklahoma City on Wednesday. They were expected to provide a battle for the top team in the Western Conference.
Instead, the Nuggets got a lesson in just how big the gap is between them and the Thunder. Oklahoma City dismantled Denver 117-97 at Chesapeake Energy Arena.
“We didn’t have a good offensive game, we didn’t have a good defensive game,” Denver coach George Karl said. “We didn’t have a good energy game. They seemed to be the hungry team from the very beginning. You are playing maybe the best team in basketball. They played with a high level of commitment and they wanted to kick our butts. And they did.”
Denver (24-17) saw its run of wins end at six games, and the Nuggets dropped eight games behind Oklahoma City (31-8) in the Northwest Division standings.
Russell Westbrook led all scorers with 32 points on 12-for-20 shooting, his second consecutive 30-plus point outing. Kevin Durant had a quiet 20 points to go along with five steals and four assists. Neither played in the fourth quarter. Kevin Martin came off the Thunder bench to chip in 20 points.
“We just try to play up to our level,” Durant said. “We have a level we want to reach every single game. It’s the Thunder way of basketball. Guys are buying in. If you have a team full of guys that buy in, then anything can happen. I learned that from Ray Lewis.”
Kosta Koufos paced the Nuggets with 16 points and nine rebounds. Reserve center JaVale McGee contributed 15 points and three blocked shots for Denver. Other than that, Oklahoma City shut down one of the league’s top scoring offenses.
“I think we did a good job defensively,” Westbrook said. “It showed from the start of the game. I thought we did a great job of getting back in transition.”
The Thunder started the night off slicing up the Nuggets’ defense. Denver looked like a team playing the second night of back-to-back games, which it was, and Oklahoma City took advantage with ball movement and dribble and isolation plays.
Westbrook led the charge, scoring 16 points to give Oklahoma City a 34-18 advantage after one quarter.
As efficient as the Thunder’s offense was, the Nuggets were just as lackluster. Koufos was the only Denver player who had any energy whatsoever. The rest of the squad sleepwalked through the entire first half, and the Nuggets trailed 67-47 at halftime.
Denver never got the deficit above 17 in second half, as the Oklahoma City bench of Reggie Jackson, DeAndre Liggins, Perry Jones III and Jeremy Lamb kept the defense rolling. All four players have seen time on the franchise’s D-League team, the Tulsa 66ers.
With its own five-game winning streak in hand, Oklahoma City now hits the road for 14 days on its longest road trip of the season. Despite the Thunder’s recent success, Durant doesn’t expect his team to slow down any time soon.
“We’re greedy,” Durant said. “In this league you have to be greedy. Just as quickly as you can win four or five in a row, you can lose four or five in a row. We know we can never be complacent and that’s the best part about our team.”
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Thunder schools Nuggets
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UCO opens World Series with a victory
Kalynn Schrock dominated in the pitching circle and Kaylee Brunson came through with a tie-breaking triple to lift Central Oklahoma past fourth-ranked Armstrong Atlantic 5-2 in Salem, Va. Thursday in the first round of the NCAA Division II Championship Finals.
It was the sixth straight postseason win for the No. 19-ranked Bronchos, who improved to 48-11 and moved into today’s 3 p.m. semifinal game against either defending national champion Valdosta State or Malloy.
Schrock gave up just two hits and no walks while striking out 15 — including 10 of the final 12 batters she faced — in improving to 31-6 on the season and 6-0 in the postseason. -
Edmond Santa Fe's Taylor heading to Central Florida
Danielle Taylor, fresh off a Central District Youth Rowing Championship victory on the Oklahoma River at the start of the month, followed up the success by signing a letter of intent in rowing with Central Florida at Edmond Santa Fe High School.
Though Santa Fe does not offer rowing as a team sport, Taylor competes for OKC Riversport on the Junior Crew which competes on the Oklahoma River.
Taylor missed her junior season due to an injury, but Coach Brian Ebke knew the Santa Fe athlete would be raring to go her senior season.
“She’s an extremely hard worker,” Ebke lauded. “Her work ethic is impeccable.” -
Bronchos hit final match play spot in first round
Dillon Rust got off to a blazing start and ended up shooting a one-under-par 70 to lead Central Oklahoma in the second round of the NCAA Division II Men’s Golf Championships in Hershey, Pa. Tuesday.
Rust birdied four of his first five holes en route to his under-par round and the Bronchos ended up with a 300 on the day, giving them a 36-hole total of 597. The 300 leaves UCO eighth in the 20-team field heading into final round of stroke play, with the top eight teams advancing to match play that will determine the national champion. -
Area players earn All-State honors on the diamond
Three area baseball players were selected to the All-State Team this week.
Right-handed pitcher Holden Lyons from Edmond North, made the team after posting a perfect 7-0 mark with an ultra-low 1.29 earned run average.
Deer Creek’s Cole Lindley made it as an outfielder and Oklahoma Christian’s Austin Brooks landed on the list in the designated hitter’s spot.
The threesome will compete on the Large West squad on July 30 at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa. -
Tennis camps offered in Edmond
Edmond Raquet Club is offering a pair of tennis camps beginning May 28.
For ages 5-8, a camp is offered from 8:45-9:30 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays and for ages 7-15 a tennis camp is available from 6-6:55 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Both camps run from May 28-June 13 and cost is $99 per camp.
A camp session for ages 8-16 will run on Mondays and Wednesdays from 8:30-9:25 a.m. May 29-June 12 for the identical cost.
For more information concerning these camps and others, call 341-4241. -
UCO winds up 10th nationally
Taylor Neidy fired a final-round 75, but Central Oklahoma failed to move up in the team standings at the NCAA Division II Women’s Golf Championships in Daytona Beach, Fla. Saturday.
The Bronchos closed with a 323 — making 11 double bogeys and three triples — and finished 10th in the four-day, 72-hole tournament with a 1,298 total on the 6,228-yard, par-72 Arthur Hills Legends Course at LPGA International.
Lynn ended Nova Southeastern’s four-year reign as national championships, finishing with a 1,187 total to edge the Sharks by three strokes. -
Central Oklahoma softballers make World Series again
Hayley Hudson gave Central Oklahoma a 5-4 lead with a run-scoring single in the fifth inning and the No. 19-ranked Bronchos staved off a seventh-inning Winona State threat to capture the NCAA Division II Central Super Regional championship Saturday afternoon at Edmond North High School.
The Warriors put two runners on with two outs in the bottom of the seventh in a bid to pull out a late win and force a deciding game in the best-of-three series, but left fielder Devyn Frazier made a running catch in foul territory for the final out to set off a wild celebration on the field.
UCO improved to 47-11 — a school-record for wins — with its 23th consecutive home victory and advanced to the Division II World Series for the second straight year. The Bronchos will face Armstrong Atlantic in the eight-team World Series at 11 a.m. Thursday in Salem, Va.
“I’d say that was a nail-biter,” head coach Genny Stidham said. “It was a good game, both teams played well. Winona has a great team and they didn’t give up, but we came up with some big plays and came out on top. -
Central Oklahoma golf coach picks up award
Central Oklahoma’s Michael Bond has been named the NCAA Division II Central Region Coach of the Year by the Women’s Golf Coaches Association, with Aly Seng and Erica Bensch both earning All-Central Region honors.
Bond led the Bronchos to perhaps the best season in school history in 2012-13 with top-five finishes in 10 of their 12 tournaments. UCO won three titles, including the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association crown and its first-ever regional championship, and finished 10th in the Division II national tournament. -
Workman's blast cranks UCO's engine; Bronchos cruise to 5-2 win
Nicole Workman’s solo home run gave Central Oklahoma a lead it would never relinquish and the No. 19-ranked Bronchos went on to topple Winona State 5-2 in the first game of the NCAA Division II Central Super Regional Friday night at the Edmond North High School Softball Complex.
Workman blasted her 14th homer of the season to lead off the second inning, with UCO adding three runs in the third and one more in the fifth to take a commanding 5-0 lead before the Warriors created some anxious moments in their final at bat.
WSU scored two runs and had runners on second and third on with just one out in the top of the seventh, but Kalynn Shrock got the final two batters to close out her fourth straight complete-game outing of the postseason and put the Bronchos in control of the best-of-three series. -
Richters rip competition at KickingBird
The KickingBird 2-man scramble was won by Jeff and Josh Richter, finishing with a 57.9 on May 11.
Jeff Jester and Kevin Wright wrapped up second-place honors with a 59.9 and Rick Morales and Ronnie Roberts placed third (60.1).
In the second flight, the top score was 60.4 by Jerry Bernhardt and Ted Carter. Picking up silver was the tandem of Jerry Fuller and Ramona Jacobi (61.2) and the third-place squad was Dyke Hoppe and Mark VanSickle at 62.0.
Morales was closest to the pin on No. 6 and Jeff Richter landed a dart on hole 14. - More Sports Headlines
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