Durant Explodes As Thunder Escapes Minnesota

One thing was for sure Saturday night in Minnesota: A guy named Kevin was going to carry his team to victory. 

Fortunately for the Thunder, Kevin Durant refused to miss and Kevin Love forgot how to shoot free throws. 

Durant poured in 48 points, including four in the final four seconds, to lead the Thunder to a wild 115-111 win over the always-pesky Timberwolves. 

Meanwhile Love, who scored 30, missed four straight free throws in the final 27 seconds to help the Thunder escape with the win.

Durant didn't just score, he completely dominated.  He hauled in seven rebounds, dished out seven assists and hit 12 of 13 from the free-throw line.  Serge Ibaka was held to 12 and three rebounds, while the only other Thunder starter in double-digits was Reggie Jackson with 10. 

Nikola Pekovic was once again unstoppable for the Wolves, scoring 31 points and hauling in 11 rebounds.  He also held Kendrick Perkins scoreless in 20 minutes.  Love grabbed 14 rebounds to go with his 30 points, while former Thunder wing Kevin Martin added 17. 

The three Kevins combined for 95 points. 

The Thunder held an enormous advantage in bench points, outscoring the Wolves 40-5.  J.J. Barea accounted for all five for Minnesota, while the Thunder's second unit brought a balanced attack.  Derek Fisher scored 13 while Steven Adams added 10 points and nine rebounds on 4-5 shooting.  Jeremy Lamb chipped in nine points and eight boards while Nick Collison scored eight. 

The Thunder outshot the Wolves 48.2 percent to 45.7 percent and outrebounded them 45-40.  Oklahoma City gained its biggest advantage from the free-throw line.  The Thunder made 27 of 28 from the line (96.4%) while Minnesota only managed 18 of 29 (62.1%). 

Next up for the Thunder (26-7) is a home date with the Boston Celtics on Sunday.  The Wolves (16-17) head to Philadelphia on Monday.