me for the Islanders, who have dropped their past two contests. Chad Jo

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Kevin Durant and Oklahoma City had an answer for every challenge from the Chicago Bulls. It was just business as usual for the Thunder at home. Durant scored 32 points and the Thunder beat the Bulls 107-95 on Thursday night for their eighth straight win. Oklahoma City led by 15 in the opening minute of the fourth quarter, but the Bulls pulled within seven on D.J. Augustins 3-pointer with 8:50 to go. Oklahoma City then outscored Chicago 16-4 over a late 5 1/2-minute stretch to pull away. "I thought our defence was good the whole game," Durant said after topping 30 points for the 13th time this season. "They slowed us down a little bit with their free throws, but I thought we just played through it in the second half. We were able to come out and speed it up a little bit, get some turnovers and get some easy points." Russell Westbrook had 20 points and 10 assists, and reserve Reggie Jackson added 18 to help the Thunder improve to 13-0 at Chesapeake Arena. Oklahoma City is the only NBA team with a perfect home record. "If we move the ball like that with the guys we have that create for everybody, create for themselves, it makes it tough on other teams," Durant said. Joakim Noah had 23 points and 12 rebounds for the banged-up Bulls, who have lost four straight and seven of eight. Taj Gibson scored 16 points and Augustin added 15. Chicago played without Kirk Hinrich (back tightness) and Luol Deng (sore Achilles), and Jimmy Butler left during the game with a right ankle injury. "I thought we still had a shot in the second half," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "I thought we were within striking distance, but we couldnt get the key stops when we needed them. ... Youve got to give them credit." Oklahoma City led by 14 in the first half, but their advantage was cut to three at the break, prompting a strong response from the Thunder in the third quarter. They used a 13-4 run to go up 68-56 with 7:52 to go in the period. Westbrooks layup increased the advantage to 13 about 1 1/2 minutes later, and then he had a layup and Durant made a jumper to make it 79-64 with 3:25 left in the third. Jacksons 3 in the final minute put Oklahoma City up 84-72 heading to the fourth, and Nick Collison opened the final quarter with three-point play. The Bulls put together another spurt to close to 89-82 on Augustins 3, but that was as close as it would get. "We were just trying to shut down the paint," Jackson said. "That was our main focus at halftime and I think we did a good job of locking in, getting some stops, and getting out on the break. ... Theyre physical. They play really well defensively, especially half-court sets. Right now theyre a little depleted, people are banged up, beat up." Jeremy Lambs dunk with 7:44 left made it 93-82, pumping up the home crowd. Durant made a 3-pointer and Westbrooks two free throws with 3:06 to go extended the lead to 105-86. "I think our defence just hasnt been there to help us out," Gibson said. "We are normally a great defensive team. We just got to get guys more reps, especially now that we lost Jimmy with the ankle." Jackson made six of the Thunders seven baskets in a 6:13 stretch bridging the first two quarters. Lambs steal and fast-break dunk with 9:21 left in the second interrupted Jacksons streak at four consecutive baskets. Jacksons jumper about a minute later gave Oklahoma City a 41-27 lead. Chicago battled back, and Mike Dunleavy hit two 3s in the final minute to get the Bulls within 55-52 at halftime. NOTES: Durant was whistled for a technical foul with 2:25 left in the first quarter for arguing following his second personal foul. ... Led by Jackson and Lamb, Thunder reserves came in averaging 33.6 points per game, the franchises highest since moving to Oklahoma City. ... Deng missed four games earlier this month due to a strained left calf. The Bulls are now 1-4 in his absence. ... About 45 minutes after the game, Thabo Sefolosha brought Noah to the Thunder locker room with the media still present, but the Bulls star was chased out by Oklahoma Citys Kendrick Perkins. USA Soccer Shirts . With the team he supported as a child on the verge of reaching the Champions League semifinals for the first time in 19 years, Ba instead scored the goal that knocked them out. USA Soccer Jerseys China . As if he had been rehearsing it, Vasquez looked around with a grimacing stare as he clinched two fists and flexed his muscles. What do you think of DeMar DeRozans face after he hits a big shot, he was asked moments earlier. https://www.cheapusasoccer.com/ . The Italian football federation announced the appointment, three days after new president Carlo Tavecchio was elected. Tavecchio and Conte spoke on the phone early Thursday. USA Soccer Gear . In the last race before the Sochi Olympics, Bjoergen followed up her win in the 10-kilometre classical race on Saturday by beating World Cup sprint leader Denise Herrmann of Germany by 0.43 seconds for her fifth victory of the season. Wholesale USA Soccer Jerseys . -- Top-ranked Stacy Lewis birdied the last three holes and five of the final six Thursday for an 8-under 64 and a share of the lead with Mi Jung Hur in the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic.Detroit, MI (SportsNetwork.com) - Petr Mrazek stopped 22 shots and the Detroit Red Wings grabbed a 4-1 victory over the New York Islanders on Saturday. Brendan Smith, Gustav Nyquist, Tomas Tatar and Jonathan Ericsson each lit the lamp for the Red Wings, who rebounded from a loss at Tampa Bay on Thursday to win for a seventh time in their past eight games. Lubomir Visnovsky had the only goal of the game for the Islanders, who have dropped their past two contests. Chad Johnson allowed all four goals on just 19 shots in the loss. The Red Wings took a 1-0 lead at 5:29 of the first on the power play, as Tatar took a pass in the high slot and skated down to the left circle before letting fly with a wrister for his 22nd goal of the season. The score stayed that way until late in the second period when Tomas Jurco sent a quick backhand pass from the low left circle back to the dot where Smith one-timed it in with 46.dddddddddddd4 seconds left. New York cut into its deficit at 5:24 of the third on the power play when Visnovskys heavy wrister from the slot went into the left corner for his fourth goal of the season. Detroit, though, got it back four minutes later as Ericssons shot on a rolling puck from the left point made it in for his third of the season. The Red Wings put the game away with just under seven minutes to play with a power-play goal after Nyquist buried a rebound off a Henrik Zetterberg shot. Game Notes Detroit plays in Colorado on Thursday ... New York hosts Florida on Tuesday ... Detroit went 2-for-4 on the power play while New York was just 1-for-4 ... The Red Wings snapped a five-game home losing streak against the Islanders. ' ' '