Feb. 13, 2011OKLAHOMA CITY (34-18) vs.WARRIORS (23-29)Coverage starts at 4:30 p.m. on Comcast SportsNet Bay Area
(AP) -- Kevin Durant and Monta Ellis are among the premier scorers in the NBA, but only one has been able to help his team into first place.A key stretch could have the Oklahoma City Thunder widening their lead.Durant and the Thunder wrap up a two-game swing against Ellis and the Golden State Warriors on Sunday night.Durant leads the league with 29.1 points per game while Ellis is sixth at 25.1. The Thunder (34-18) have been able to capitalize on Durant's superb play to lead the Northwest Division by four games over Denver.The Warriors (23-29) haven't been as successful, sitting third in the Pacific and 5 12 games behind Portland for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.Durant has thrived against Golden State, averaging 33.7 points over the last 10 meetings, resulting in seven wins. The forward scored 28 points in Oklahoma City's 114-109 home win over the Warriors on Dec. 5 in the first of three meetings this season.Durant will try to lead the Thunder to their fifth win six games. He scored 35 points in a 99-97 victory over Sacramento on Saturday."This was a good road win," coach Scott Brooks said. "We knew we were in for a tough game."The win also started a stretch of four consecutive games against teams under .500. Following this contest, Oklahoma City returns home to face the Kings on Tuesday and will meet the Los Angeles Clippers on Feb. 22 after the All-Star break.First, Durant and the Thunder will try to continue capitalizing against the Warriors, who are second in the league in points allowed per game at 106.1.Oklahoma City is fifth in the NBA in scoring with 104.5 points per game, but is averaging 112.3 during a four-game road winning streak.The Warriors have won four of five at home to improve to 17-11. They're also likely to be happy to be playing again at Oracle Arena following one of their worst performances this season, a 112-88 rout in Phoenix on Thursday.One night earlier, Golden State shot 51.1 percent in a 116-114 home win over Denver."You share with the younger players how hard it is that you have to play every night in the NBA, back-to-back in particular," coach Keith Smart said, "but there's nothing you can do with it."Ellis was just 4 of 13 shots from the floor to finish with eight points against the Suns. He had been averaging 28.8 over the previous four games.Ellis outscored Durant on Dec. 5, finishing with 29 points. However, Stephen Curry tops them both with a season-high 39 points, three shy of his career-best.Ellis' backcourt mate is averaging 24.0 points on 58.1 percent from the field while making 6 of 13 3-pointers in two home meetings with Oklahoma City.Curry, though, hasn't come close to that type of production over the last three games, averaging 13.3 points after getting 12 against the Suns. He's second on the team with 18.8 points per game and leads with 5.8 assists.
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