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Sports

Westbrook, Ibaka help Thunder beat Timberwolves 92-84

Cliff Brunt - The Philippine Star

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Russell Westbrook scored 18 points, Serge Ibaka added 13 points and a season-high 19 rebounds, and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 92-84 on Monday night without the injured Kevin Durant.

Durant sat out after spraining the big toe on his left foot Sunday against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Westbrook shot just 7 for 22 from the field, but was 4 for 6 and scored 11 points in the fourth quarter to help the Thunder remain in control. Reserves Anthony Morrow and Reggie Jackson each added 14 points to help Oklahoma City's bench outscore Minnesota's 45-21.

Andrew Wiggins scored 23 points, Thaddeus Young had 22 and Gorgui Dieng had a season-high 18 rebounds for the league-worst Timberwolves, who shot a season-low 34.1 percent from the field.

Oklahoma City led 25-19 at the end of the first quarter, then pushed the lead to 15 in the second. In the closing seconds of the first half, Nick Collison threw a pass the length of the court. Perry Jones caught the ball off the bounce in front of everyone and scored a reverse layup with 0.5 seconds remaining to give the Thunder a 48-40 lead at the break.

Wiggins scored 13 points in the first half to help the Timberwolves stay in the game.

Back-to-back baskets by Young cut Oklahoma City's lead to 57-54 midway through the third quarter.

With the Thunder leading 62-56 late in the third quarter, Minnesota coach Flip Saunders was issued a technical foul for loudly disagreeing with a call against Wiggins. Reggie Jackson made all three free throws to bump Oklahoma City's lead to nine heading into the fourth.

TIP-INS

Timberwolves: F Robbie Hummel is out indefinitely with a broken finger on his right hand he suffered Sunday against Atlanta. ... Kevin Martin missed his 34th consecutive game with a fractured right wrist. He was listed as questionable, but did not dress.

Thunder: C Steven Adams, who missed Sunday's game against Cleveland with a migraine, started. ... Jones, who didn't play at all Sunday against Cleveland, started against Minnesota. He finished with six points in 25 minutes. ... C Kendrick Perkins was issued a technical foul with 4:16 left in the second quarter.

UP NEXT

Timberwolves: Host Boston on Wednesday.

Thunder: At New York on Wednesday.

ANDREW WIGGINS

AT NEW YORK

C KENDRICK PERKINS

C STEVEN ADAMS

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS

F ROBBIE HUMMEL

FLIP SAUNDERS

GORGUI DIENG

HOST BOSTON

OKLAHOMA CITY

TIMBERWOLVES

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