Jazz, Thunder tussle in OKC
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}(SportsNetwork.com) - The Oklahoma City Thunder will try to move closer to the .500 mark when they host the Utah Jazz Friday at Chesapeake Energy Arena.
The Thunder have dropped two in a row and are 17-19 on the season. They are coming off Wednesday's 104-83 disaster against the Sacramento Kings and made only 32.6 percent from the field.
Kevin Durant scored 24 points and Russell Westbrook had 10. Serge Ibaka recorded a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds, while Reggie Jackson scored 14 points off the bench for Oklahoma City, whose current slide comes on the heels of winning four of five games.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"We found the good shots but couldn't hit them tonight," Durant said. "When you get down 25-7 that's when you start to rush and turn the ball over. So we have to go back to the drawing board and get our next one."
Dion Waiters scored four points on 1-of-9 shooting in his debut with Oklahoma City, which acquired him from the Cleveland Cavaliers as part of a three-team deal on Monday.
The Kings snapped their 12-game slide to the Thunder. They allowed season lows in points and shooting percentage (32.6).
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Oklahoma City has won three in a row at home and is 10-7 as the host.
Utah started a three-game road swing with a convincing 97-77 victory against the Chicago Bulls two days ago.
Derrick Favors scored 14 of his 20 points in the second half and grabbed 11 rebounds, while Gordon Hayward and Trey Burke scored 18 and 17 points, respectively. Trevor Booker delivered 15 points off the bench for the Jazz, winners in seven of the last 11 games.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"As much as anything, we've had a better focus (of late)," said Jazz head coach Quin Snyder. "Sometimes we've had it for a quarter and not for the next quarter. We were focused more than not tonight."
The Jazz are 7-12 outside Salt Lake City and have won two straight and five of their last seven road bouts.
Utah will close the trek Saturday in Houston and have split two matchups with Oklahoma City this season. The Northwest rivals will meet again March 28. The Jazz have lost seven in row and 10 of the last 12 games on the road in this series.