The Oklahoma City Thunder (37 - 29) beat the Chicago Bulls (40 - 28) 109 - 100 in a matinee matchup at Chesapeake Energy Arena on Sunday. The win put the Thunder a half game up on the New Orleans Pelicans for the final playoff spot in the West. New Orleans will try to even things up again when they host the Denver Nuggets on Sunday evening. Kevin Durant (foot) remains out indefinitely, but there is some hope he'll be able to return in the next 1 - to - 2 weeks. Oklahoma City has also played without starting power forward Serge Ibaka the last two games, using Enes Kanter, Steven Adams, Mitch McGary and Nick Collison to help fill the gaps in their frontcourt while Russell Westbrook guides the ship in Durant's absence and picks up a lot of the scoring slack. Westbrook scored a game - high 36 points to go with 11 rebounds and six assists in 41 minutes. He's scored the game - high mark in five of his last six games, doing his best to will the Thunder into the playoffs and make his case for the MVP Award. Chicago has had their own injury issues of late, with Derrick Rose (knee), Jimmy Butler (elbow) and Taj Gibson (ankle) all sidelined. Gibson has returned to practice but has not been cleared to return to game action. Rookie forward Nikola Mirotic has helped pick up most of the scoring load that was left in the absence of the Bulls' injured stars, and he posted a team - high 27 points in 30 minutes off the bench Sunday. Chicago lost the game because they could n't keep Oklahoma City's big men off the glass. Between Adams and Kanter, the Thunder collected 17 offensive rebounds, giving them enough extra possessions to lock up the game even though the Bulls forced them into 17 turnovers, on which they were able to score an easy 27 points. The Thunder have won five of their last seven games as they fight for the final spot in the West playoff standings, overcoming the adversity they've been handed as a result of numerous injuries. The Bulls, on the other hand, have lost five of their last six games, and while they still hold the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference playoff standings, their inability to stay competitive without a fully healthy roster is concerning for their potential to take a series when they reach the postseason. Oklahoma City will play the Mavericks in Dallas on Monday, and Chicago will have a few days off before hosting the Pacers on Wednesday.
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