Inland Waterways » when they return home Friday to host the

(SportsNetwork.com) - The Oklahoma City Thunder earned a tough road win on Christmas and wont have much time to dwell on it when they return home Friday to host the Charlotte Hornets. The Thunder escaped the Alamo City with Thursdays 114-106 triumph over the defending champion San Antonio Spurs and used a 38-point fourth quarter to halt a two-game slide and win for the ninth time in 12 tries. Russell Westbrook put OKC on his back to the tune of 34 points on 14-of-28 shooting and 11 assists. We did a great job of being physical, using our length and our athleticism, Westbrook said. Steven Adams posted 16 points and 15 rebounds, while Serge Ibaka scored 21 points and Anthony Morrow added 15 off the bench for Oklahoma City, which made 51.9 percent from the field and registered at least 100 or more points for the ninth time in the previous 10 contests. Oklahoma City isnt taking chances on superstar Kevin Durants sprained right ankle and the reigning NBA MVP missed his fourth straight. Durant sustained the injury in a loss at Golden State on Dec. 18 and is expected to rest again versus the Hornets. Durant missed the start of the season because of foot surgery (Jones fracture) and the Thunder are 7-2 in the games he has played. The Thunder are 7-7 at home this season. Charlotte has been playing well lately with a season-best four straight wins and is coming off Tuesdays 108-101 road triumph against the Milwaukee Bucks. Kemba Walker scored 27 points and Gerald Henderson posted 20 for the Hornets, who outscored the Bucks 34-24 in the third quarter and later took a 96-84 advantage. Theyre a good team, said Charlotte coach Steve Clifford. They beat us up- and-down the floor, which weve been good at, but we are able to stay in there and make the plays we needed. The Hornets are averaging 107.8 points during their win streak and have posted 100-plus points in each of the past five games. They committed 13 turnovers against the Bucks, but are first in the NBA with 11.0 turnovers per game. Walker has scored 20 or more points six times in the last eight games and is posting an average of 23.1 ppg in that stretch. Charlotte is only 3-10 on the road and has won back-to-back road tests. It will host Orlando and Milwaukee next at The Hive. The Hornets and Thunder will meet twice this season and are scheduled to play Feb. 21 in Charlotte. Oklahoma City won both matchups with Charlotte last season and is riding a seven-game win streak in the series. The then-Bobcats never won in six tries in Oklahoma City. Torrey Smith Panthers Jersey . The turf is scheduled to give way to actual grass that is bright green, so we dont have to complain any more—we just have to wait a few years. Instead, do feel free to complain if the roof is closed for any reason other than to allow a game to be played. Jarius Wright Jersey . Funny, they looked like longtime friends during Pittsburghs 5-1 demolition of Dallas on Tuesday night. Quick to the puck and even quicker to the net, the Penguins top line overwhelmed the suddenly struggling Stars as Pittsburgh bounced back from a dismal weekend sweep at the hands of Philadelphia by jumping on Dallas early. http://www.thepanthersofficialstore.com/authentic-rashaan-gaulden-panthers-jersey/ .5 million. University officials released the term sheet signed by Harsin Wednesday, the day the former Broncos walk-on player and Boise native was named the successor to Chris Petersen, who left for Washington last week. Marquis Haynes Panthers Jersey . If there is one club built to handle an off-field controversy, its the Bill Belichick era Patriots. Even if New Englands offence stumbles a bit out of the gate, their defence can help them stay in games, especially in the AFC East with the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets in the first two weeks. DJ Moore Panthers Jersey . On Thursday, a judge said Varlamov could be released if he posted $5,000 bond and be allowed to travel with the team but he was ordered to stay away from his girlfriend, among other restrictions.The Colorado Avalanche have one loss in their first 13 games and have taken over top spot in the TSN.ca NHL Power Rankings. What sets the Avalanche apart right now, and cant possibly last at this level of performance, is goaltending. Semyon Varlamov and Jean-Sebastien Giguere have combined to stop 95.5% of the shots theyve faced, an incredible number over 13 games, let alone a full season. Until that regression hits the crease, however, the Avalanche have earned their place at the top of the Power Rankings. Movign up this week, the Pittsburgh Penguins have won four straight and climb from 11 to seven, while the Anaheim Ducks are 4-0-1 in their last five and have jumped from 15 to 10 as a result. The Detroit Red Wings have one regulation loss in the last six, and moved from 20 to 12, while the New York Rangers are starting to see some positives and were bumped from 28 to 24. Secondary scoring has been an issue for the Boston Bruins, enough that they have only one shootout win in their last four games. resulting in a fall from four to 11. Goalltending has, not surprisingly, been an issue for the Calgary Flames and while they got good results from Reto Berra in his first start, it remains a concern.dddddddddddd In any case, the Flames have slipped from 12 to 17. Goaltending is an issue for the Carolina Hurricanes too, with third-stringer Justin Peters forced to start, but the Hurricanes arent scoring either, with five goals in five straight losses. Theyve dropped from 24 to 29. Among Canadian teams, the Vancouver Canucks are up to four, after five wins in the last six games, including Saturdays win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, who fall from six to nine. Getting healthier, the Montreal Canadiens are up one spot, from 14 to 13, while the Winnipeg Jets hold steady at 22, five spots ahead of the Edmonton Oilers, who cant get healthy, which is hardly the recipe to turn around their disappointing start. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. 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