Timberwolves-Thunder Preview

By ALAN FERGUSON

(AP) -- The Oklahoma City Thunder have continued to have few problems offensively in spite of Kevin Durant's absence.

It's stopping opponents that has proved problematic lately.

No team has been worse defensively on the road than the Minnesota Timberwolves, who enter Friday night looking to halt a 10-game losing streak in Oklahoma City.

The Thunder (35-29) haven't had Durant available in 10 games since Feb. 19 because of an ailing right foot, and coach Scott Brooks said before Wednesday's game against the Los Angeles Clippers that he's not expected to return for at least another "week to two weeks."

Even without the reigning MVP, Oklahoma City has topped 100 points in 17 consecutive games, the franchise's longest streak since doing so in 19 straight in 1994-95. Westbrook is averaging 33.2 points, 11.1 assists and 10.7 rebounds during Durant's absence.

He had recorded triple-doubles in five of six games before a rough outing Wednesday, committing a career-worst 10 turnovers in a 120-108 loss. Westbrook had 24 points on 5-of-14 shooting with nine boards and seven assists.

The Thunder have allowed the opposing team to score 100 points in seven consecutive contests, their worst such stretch since letting eight straight reach the century mark Feb. 8-27, 2009.

They let the Clippers shoot 15 of 30 from 3-point range.

"All over the floor defensively, we struggled tonight," Brooks said. "We didn't play the defense that we know we're capable of playing. We know what we have to do (before Friday's game) to get back to being a better defensive team."

Brooks' team has allowed an average of 111.9 points while losing four of seven, compared to 98.5 through its first 57 games.

Those defensive woes have played a role in Oklahoma City losing its grip on the final Western Conference playoff spot. The Thunder are a half-game behind New Orleans, which is idle until Sunday, and have already lost that head-to-head tiebreaker.

Minnesota (14-49) is at the bottom of the West, partly due to a 5-25 road record. The Timberwolves have allowed league highs of 108.4 points and 49.1 percent shooting away from home.

One of only five road games all season in which they didn't allow 100 points came against the Thunder on Jan. 26, but Minnesota lost 92-84 for its fifth consecutive defeat in the series despite Durant sitting out. The Timberwolves have lost 19 of the past 22 meetings, including 10 in a row at Oklahoma City since Nov. 28, 2008, when Westbrook was a rookie.

Westbrook shot 7 of 22 in the last meeting but had 34 points on 12-of-19 shooting in a 111-92 victory in Minnesota on Dec. 12.

He'll attempt to send the Timberwolves to their seventh loss in eight games and fifth in a row on the road. Minnesota fell to 0-2 on its four-game trip with a 106-97 defeat to Phoenix on Wednesday.

"We did some good things and did some bad things," guard Kevin Martin said. "We'll just keep on developing people on the court and just go from there."

Nikola Pekovic's status is uncertain after he was forced to leave Wednesday's loss with an ailing right ankle, but Kevin Garnett is expected to return after sitting out with a sore knee.