OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Kevin Durant scored 34 points while being booed throughout his return to Oklahoma City, and the Golden State Warriors beat the Thunder 130-114 in a chippy game on Saturday night.
It was Durant's first game back since he left the Thunder after eight seasons in Oklahoma City to join the rival Warriors as a free agent last summer. The crowd jeered him loudly during pregame warmups, starter introductions and whenever he touched the ball.
Emotions ran high throughout the game. At one point in the third quarter, Durant and Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook yelled at each other as they walked toward their benches during a timeout. Later in the third quarter, Oklahoma City's Andre Roberson fouled Durant hard, and the two got in each other's faces and were called for double technicals.
Westbrook finished with 47 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists.
Oklahoma City kept it close early, but the Warriors gained their footing late in the first quarter. Golden State made 16 of 22 field goals in the second quarter, and Durant's dunk with four seconds left in the first half gave the Warriors a 73-50 lead at the break. The 43 points by the Warriors in the second quarter were a season high.
The Thunder cut Golden State's lead to 12 in the fourth quarter before Westbrook checked back in, but the Thunder couldn't cut the deficit further, and Durant punctuated his dominant performance with a 3-pointer over Westbrook that put the Warriors up 123-104 with 3:39 to play.
------
TIP INS
Warriors: C Zaza Pachulia sat out with a right rotator cuff strain and F David West missed the game with a fractured left thumb. ... It was Golden State's third convincing win over the Thunder in three meetings this season. The Warriors won the first two meetings by 26 and 21 points in Oakland. ... F Andre Iguodala was called for a technical foul in the third quarter.
Thunder: Westbrook had 21 points and nine rebounds in the first half. ... Westbrook usually rests at the end of the third quarter, but this time, he played the whole period and dunked in the closing seconds.
UP NEXT
Warriors will play at Denver on Monday.
Thunder will play at Washington and former Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks on Monday.
