Kevin Durant scored 30 points and grabbed seven rebounds while Russell Westbrook totaled 28 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, leading Oklahoma City to a 106-95 victory over Chicago in the season opener for both teams at the Oklahoma City Arena.
Durant connected on just 9-of-24 shots from the field but made 11-of-13 from the line as the Thunder made 38 foul shots en route to the victory -- including 12 from Westbrook. Jeff Green scored 21 for the hosts, who are coming off a 50-win season and first-round playoff defeat to the defending champion Lakers.
Derrick Rose scored 28 points, but made only 12-of-31 shots, and handed out six assists. Joakim Noah scored 18 points and grabbed 19 boards for Chicago, which fired head coach Vinny Del Negro after a 41-win season and first-round exit from the playoffs at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Tom Thibodeau suffered the loss in his NBA head coaching debut.
James Harden's three put the hosts ahead 82-80 with 24.2 seconds left in the third before CJ Watson's jumper evened the score heading into the final 12 minutes.
Both teams struggled to post points during the first half of the fourth quarter before the Thunder pulled away in the final four minutes.
Rose's off-balance jumper pulled the visitors to within 93-91 with 3 1/2 minutes to go, but that was the closest the Bulls got the rest of the way.
Westbrook hit two foul shots to push the lead to four and then took a feed from Thabo Sefolosha that led to a dunk. The ensuing foul shot completed the three-point play to make it a 98-91 game with 2 1/2 minutes left.
Durant drove the right baseline for a dunk to extend the lead to nine with just under two minutes left before Sefolosha intercepted a Rose pass and was fouled en route to a breakaway, giving him two free throws and the subsequent possession to the Thunder.
Sefolosha hit 1-of-2 from the line before Green's three-pointer with 89 ticks left capped an 11-0 burst that sewed up the victory.
Oklahoma City led 30-25 after the first quarter behind 12 from Durant, despite making only 9-of-22 shots from the field. The hosts went 11-of-13 from the line in the opening 12 minutes to forge the lead.
Green scored 14 in the second quarter to help the Thunder take a 59-54 lead at the break. Rose scored 20 of his points before intermission.
Game Notes
Green connected on 7-of-17 from the floor...Forward Nick Collison, who did not play during the preseason due to a lower leg stress reaction, did not play for the Thunder...Oklahoma City was 22-8 against the Eastern Conference last season...The Thunder were 31-16 last year when Durant scored 30 or more...Oklahoma City was 27-14 as the host last season...Taj Gibson added 16 points, on 8-of-12 shooting, and grabbed 11 rebounds for Chicago...The Bulls are 24-21 in their history on Opening Night, including a 12-11 mark on the road...Chicago finished 17-24 away from home last season.
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