Sixers fall to Thunder in OT

One had to wonder whether the 76ers would have much energy for Wednesday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Wells Fargo Center.

The Sixers had expended so much effort on Tuesday, running their way to a 110-100 victory in Indiana while the Thunder were idle.

As it turned out, the Sixers had plenty of energy for most of the game, but they lost their marksmanship late in a 110-105 overtime loss to the Thunder.

Kevin Durant had a game-high 34 points for the Thunder (40-23) while Russell Westbrook added 27. Jrue Holiday and Lou Williams each scored 22 points for the Sixers (33-31). Jodie Meeks added 17.

In the overtime period, Westbrook increased the Thunder's lead to 106-103 on a driving layup with 3 minutes, 20 seconds left.

Elton Brand's jumper cut the margin to 106-105 with 1:34 remaining. Durant buried another jumper to increase the lead to 108-105 with 1:20 left.

The Sixers had a few chances to tie it.

Andre Iguodala missed a three-point attempt. On the next possession, Meeks missed a wide-open corner three, but the Sixers retained possession on Iguodala's rebound.

The Sixers gave the ball back to the Thunder on an offensive foul, a moving screen by Brand with 40.4 seconds remaining.

Westbrook then buried a jumper for a 110-105 lead with just 22.1 seconds left to seal it.

Williams played less than 15 minutes against Indiana on Tuesday, so the Sixers guard was refreshed. Against the Thunder, Williams went on one of his patented fourth-quarter scoring sprees.

With the score tied at 92, Williams scored the Sixers' next nine points, giving him 13 in the fourth quarter.

Then again, the Thunder countered with their own weapon, Durant, for an impressive comeback.

Durant hit an off-balance corner jumper to cut the lead to 101-98 with 36.9 seconds left.

He topped that effort by hitting a three-pointer to tie the score with 6.9 seconds remaining.

Iguodala then was called for an offensive foul on a layup with 1.9 seconds left. The game went into overtime after Durant missed a long three that originally looked online.

The Sixers have been described as one of the more athletic teams in the NBA, but the Thunder will take a backseat to nobody in that department.

An all-star point guard, Westbrook is quick enough to dribble by opponents and has the leaping ability to jump over them.

Fellow all-star Durant entered Wednesday leading the NBA in scoring (28.1 ppg.) Durant also exhibits tremendous quickness, so he can take players of the dribble. He has deep range on his jumper.

Iguodala, whom coach Doug Collins calls a "first-team all-NBA defender" had the assignment on Durant.

Also in the Thunder's arsenal is 6-foot-10 high flyer Serge Ibaka, who earned national attention for taking off from the foul line and slamming in the all-star slam dunk competition.

In the third quarter, Durant completed a four-point play, hitting a fallaway three as he was fouled by Thaddeus Young.

The Sixers weren't snoozing at the beginning, leading by 15-4 before the game was four minutes old. Eventually, the Thunder settled down and the game turned into an entertaining display of one athletic play after another.

Neither team could assume command.

It was 55-55 at halftime and 82-80, Thunder, after three quarters.