Recap: Oklahoma City vs. Minnesota
Sports Network | November 28, 2008
Oklahoma City, OK (Sports Network) - Mike Miller hit the game-winning jumper with 0.1 seconds left, as the Minnesota Timberwolves edged Oklahoma City, 105-103, sending the Thunder franchise to its record-tying 14th consecutive loss.
Miller finished with 18 points, eight rebounds and four assists for the T- Wolves, who are only 4-10 this season. Craig Smith ended with 23 points and Al Jefferson 19 for Minnesota.
Kevin Durant and Jeff Green scored 22 points apiece for the Thunder, who fell to 1-16 on the season. The franchise also lost 14 in a row from February 3- March 5, 1996, when it was located in Seattle. Chris Wilcox ended with a season-high 21 points and Russell Westbrook had 15 and eight helpers in defeat.
Wilcox's fadeaway and pair of free throws tied the game at 92 with 4:22 left. Moments later, Minnesota went back up by five but Green and Durant nailed back-to-back threes with 1:05 on the clock, and Oklahoma City assumed a 100-99 lead.
Down at the other end, Smith was fouled trying to go up for a shot and hit 1- of-2 to tie it up.
After each team failed on its next possessions, Durant grabbed a loose ball and was fouled with 15.7 ticks left. He hit 1-of-2 for a 101-100 lead for the home team.
Wilcox was called for a loose ball foul on Jefferson during the ensuing Minnesota play, and he made the first but missed the second. Ryan Gomes grabbed the board and was fouled, then hit both shots to make it 103-101 with 8.8 seconds remaining.
On the inbounds pass, Durant got the ball near the top-right corner of the three-point line, drove in and had a wide-open dunk to knot the score again with 3.3 ticks showing.
But on the final play of the game, Miller took the ball off the inbounds in the right corner, stepped in and drained a shot with 0.1 seconds left for the win.
The Thunder struck for an 18-16 lead after the first quarter and had a 48-44 edge at the break.
Down by two points, a Jefferson free throw sparked a 14-4 Minnesota run that gave the T-Wolves a 65-57 lead with 4:57 left in the third stanza.
The T-Wolves were up 79-70 heading into the fourth quarter.
The Thunder reached 100 points for second time this season...Oklahoma City has now started the Scott Brooks era 0-4. Brooks was named interim head coach after P.J. Carlesimo was fired following an abysmal 1-12 start to the Thunder's inaugural season...Oklahoma City has lost eight straight at home and is 1-9 as the host this season...Minnesota is 2-5 away from home in 2008-09...The Thunder/SuperSonics had won seven of eight and 11 of the past 15 matchups against the Timberwolves.
