Basketball: Oklahoma City 117 Denver 97

Russell Westbrook ignited a strong first period Wednesday that sent Oklahoma City to an easy 117-97 conquest of Denver. The Nuggets had won six in a row. Oklahoma City boosted the NBA's best record to 31-8 by capturing its fifth straight. Westbrook scored 32 points, hitting 12-of-20 from the field as part of Oklahoma City's 51-percent shooting performance. The Thunder opened a 16-point lead after one period and had a 25-point cushion heading into the final quarter. Kevin Durant and Kevin Martin both scored 20 points for the Thunder. Durant and Westbrook are both ranked among the NBA's top seven scorers. Denver was led by 16 points from Kosta Koufos. The Nuggets' starters produced just 46 points. From UPI