LOS ANGELES -- For three quarters, the Los Angeles Lakers tempted the sellout crowd at Staples Center into believing they would pull off one of the most improbable upsets of the NBA season. Nike Air Max 1 Heren . Then Kevin Durant took over and the Lakers got sloppy with the ball, turning it into just another loss in a season full of them for coach Mike DAntonis undermanned squad. Durant scored 19 of his 43 points in the fourth quarter and the Oklahoma City Thunder sent the Lakers to a record-setting seventh straight home loss with a 107-103 victory on Thursday night. "The easy thing to do is look at it like we didnt have the proper focus. But Im not going to go there -- because when you play against an NBA team thats prideful like the Lakers, theyre going to have a good game," Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks said. The Thunder have a 1 1/2-game lead on Indiana for the NBAs best record. Their 43-12 mark equals the best start in the franchises 47-year history, set by the 1995-96 Seattle Supersonics. Oklahoma City is 20-7 without second-leading scorer Russell Westbrook, who hasnt played since getting a triple-double on Christmas Day at Madison Square Garden. Westbrook is recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. "This whole group, they are resilient," Durant said. "We persevered through everything and just stayed together. We had faith no matter what. We are looking forward to having Russell back and make it seem less of a transition for him." Chris Kaman and Wesley Johnson scored 19 points apiece for Los Angeles, and Kendall Marshall added 14 points and 17 assists. The Lakers have lost 22 of their last 27 games and are tied with Sacramento for last place in the Western Conference. The Thunder, coming off a 98-95 win against Portland in which they held All-Stars LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard to a combined 1-for-17 from the field in the second half, trailed by as many as 15 points late in the third quarter while Durant missed his first eight attempts from 3-point range. But Durants first 3-pointer of the game cut the Lakers lead to 85-77 in the opening minute of the fourth, triggering a 15-2 run that enabled Oklahoma City to pull ahead 92-87 with 5:46 to play. "He just continued to play the game and do what he has done all season," teammate and former Laker Derek Fisher said. "He is one of the best I have seen in terms if really just playing through anything and everything." Los Angeles committed seven of its 23 turnovers during the first 4:03 of the final period, and Fisher tied it at 87-all on a 3-pointer. Durant then stole the ball from Johnson and hit a driving layup that gave the Thunder their first lead, 89-87. The five-time All-Star capped the rally with a 3-pointer 32 seconds later. The Lakers came out of the gate like a team that desperately wanted to avoid surpassing the franchise record for consecutive home losses they shared with the 1992-93 squad. They led 54-45 at halftime. "I thought the effort was terrific," DAntoni said. "They battled the whole game. We ran into a little rough spot there in the start of the fourth. They got into us and we turned it over way too many times." Steve Blake made a three-point play after getting fouled by Jeremy Lamb on an off-balance 20-footer from the left elbow. That put the Lakers back in front 95-94 with 3:34 left, but Serge Ibakas two free throws put the Thunder ahead to stay with 2:38 remaining and they closed with an 11-7 run as Fisher and Durant each made two free throws in the final 17 seconds. Oklahoma City has won eight of its last 12 meetings with the Lakers. DAntoni was down to eight healthy players, with point guard Steve Nash sitting out because of a recurrence of root irritation in his back and hamstring. Los Angeles is still missing five of its top six scorers -- Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Jordan Farmar, Nick Young, Jodie Meeks and Xavier Henry. "Its been a crazy year, and there will still be some turbulence ahead," DAntoni said. "But I think during these next 29 games we will get honed in and try to get better. The thing I hope is that with all the effort, they get rewarded for it." NOTES: The Thunder havent allowed 20 or more points to an opposing player since eight games ago at Miami on Jan. 29, when they overcame 34 points by LeBron James in a 112-95 win. ... Oklahoma City will come out of the All-Star break with a six-game homestand beginning next Thursday against the defending NBA champion Heat. Brooks and his staff will be calling the shots for the Western Conference All-Stars on Sunday at New Orleans. Nike Air Max 1 Heren Geel . -- The tight games and nastiness between old rivals Montreal and Boston is coming to a Game 7 climax. Nike Air Max 1 Heren Zwart . As the season progresses, the gaps are narrowing and the fields are closing in on the leaders. A week ago, there wasnt an obvious challenger in the mens or pairs event.SINGAPORE -- Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel again stamped himself the man to beat by setting the fastest time in Fridays practice for the Singapore Grand Prix. Chasing his third straight win in Formula Ones annual night race and seemingly headed for a fourth successive drivers championship, Vettel set a time of 1 minute, 44.249 seconds on the Marina Bay circuit; six tenths of a second clear of teammate Mark Webber. Mercedes drivers Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton were the nearest rivals, but third-placed Rosberg was more than a second slower than Vettel. "The time we set was a surprise today, I got a good lap in, but I dont think its completely representative," Vettel said. "We seem to be quick, but Mercedes will be very strong in qualifying tomorrow." Lotus driver Sebastian Grosjean had steering problems in the early session and a hydraulic failure in the late one, but was still fifth quickest, outperforming his more experienced teammate Kimi Raikkonen in eighth. Ferraris Fernando Alonso -- who reiterated his commitment to the team on Friday amid speculation of a move to McLaren -- was sixth, ahead of McLarens Jenson Button. Force Indias Adrian Sutil and McLarens Sergio Perez were ninth and 10th. There were few incidents over the two 90-minute sessions. Williams Pastor Maldonado went nose-first into one of the concrete barriers that hem the street circuit but the carr had only minor front-wing damage. Nike Air Max 1 Heren wit. The lack of problems was a testament to both the track surface, which has more grip this year after resurfacing, and the concentration of drivers who must go through 78 gear changes per lap on the twisty circuit, while dealing with the intense heat of driving under floodlights in the tropical climate. Vettels performance was dispiriting for his rivals, who need a dip in the Germans imperious form if they are to reel in the already-comfortable 53-point lead he holds in the championship. Should he top the times in Saturdays qualifying, that lead is likely to be extended further as Vettel has converted his past three pole positions this season into race wins. About the only bad news for Vettel on Thursday was a 200-euro fine for speeding in the pit lane in the first practice session. The yawning one-second gap between Vettel and third-placed Rosberg was a surprise, given that Mercedes had hoped that a return to a tight, high-downforce circuit would negate the speed advantage Red Bull enjoyed in Belgium and Italy. Mercedes had taken the pole-and-win double at both Monaco and Hungary, the two other races with comparable race settings. "There are some big gaps on the timesheets but we need to focus on our own program and not get distracted by what our competitors are doing," Mercedes F1 executive director Toto Wolff said. Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Authentic Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Authentic Cheap Jerseys Authentic Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys NFL China Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
