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OKLAHOMA CITY -- Russell Westbrook taught rookie Michael Carter-Williams a swift and thorough lesson. Westbrook had a triple-double in 21 minutes to win the matchup of talented point guards and help the Oklahoma City Thunder defeat the woeful Philadelphia 76ers 125-92 on Tuesday night. The three-time All Star finished with 13 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists after blowing past Carter-Williams at will. Westbrook wrapped up his eighth career triple-double on a rebound with 4:55 left in the third quarter and left the game for good moments later. The last NBA player to get a triple-double in fewer minutes was Jim Tucker in 1955, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. "He made everybody better tonight," said teammate Kevin Durant, who led the Thunder with 42 points. "He was moving the basketball, he was aggressive to the rim. I think thats why everybody got open, because of his aggressiveness. He just set the tone for us." Westbrook also offered verbal instruction after his pupil decided to talk trash during the third quarter. Turns out, Westbrook is pretty good at that, too. "I like it," he said of Carter-Williams talking. "Its good because thats how I play anyway. I compete, and thats what I like to do. He wants to compete as well." James Anderson scored 20 for the 76ers, who lost their 15th in a row, their longest slide since a 15-game skid in 1994. Philadelphia shot just 34 per cent. Carter-Williams, among the favourites to win the Rookie of the Year award, finished with 14 points on 4-for-12 shooting. Philadelphia coach Brett Brown wasnt amused by Carter-Williams talking. "Its always wise to go about your business without instigating an All-Star," Brown said. "I dont mind Michael being competitive, but how you go about that is always a challenge, and again, a learning curve." Serge Ibaka and Reggie Jackson each scored 14 points and Perry Jones added 12 for the Thunder, who shot 57 per cent from the field in their most lopsided victory of the season. Westbrook had eight assists in the first 6:34 to help the Thunder take a 24-15 lead. "I never go in looking to shoot first, pass first, rebound first," he said. "I just come in and play off instincts." Westbrook got his 10th assist on a long bounce pass to Durant with 4:55 left in the second quarter. Westbrook finished the first half with 11 assists, a Thunder record for a half. He didnt score until he made a layup with 1:50 left in the first half. His second basket was a 29-foot 3-pointer. "Hes just physically so gifted and hes so competitive," Brown said. "Theres a -- and I say this respectfully -- hes an angry competitor that wills his way into doing stuff. I say that with the utmost respect. You saw those physical abilities along with just such a strong mind. Its a powerful combination." Durant, who made 14 of 20 shots from the floor, did not play in the fourth quarter as the Thunder won their third straight. Caron Butler, the Thunders recent acquisition, entered for the first time as a member of the team with 5:26 left in the first quarter and received a loud standing ovation. He made his first basket, a jumper, with 2:18 left in the opening period. Durant scored 21 points in the first half on 8-for-11 shooting to help the Thunder take a 61-45 lead at the break. The 76ers made 3-pointers on three consecutive trips down the floor -- the first two by Byron Mullins and the third by Anderson -- to cut what had been a 22-point deficit to 15 midway through the third quarter. The Thunder bounced back and led 98-76 at the end of the period. Durant scored 21 of Oklahoma Citys 37 points in the quarter. The crowd cheered loudly when Oklahoma Citys 7-foot-3 centre, Hasheem Thabeet, stepped out of his usual element and drained a 17-foot jumper that put the Thunder up 110-79 with 7:33 to go. It was a complete win for Oklahoma City. "I thought defensively, we were really good throughout the game," coach Scott Brooks said. "We were active, we were in passing lanes, we were contesting shots, and we did a great job with rebounding and passing." NOTES: Jones and C Steven Adams started for the Thunder in place of injured G Thabo Sefolosha and C Kendrick Perkins. ... The 76ers have allowed at least 100 points in 14 of the 15 losses during their skid. All but three of the defeats have been by double digits. ... Thunder G Jeremy Lamb made a layup at the first-quarter buzzer after catching a pass from Durant that travelled most of the length of the court. ... The Thunder shot 70 per cent in the first quarter to take a 37-23 lead. ... 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Cheap Keith Hernandez Jersey .C. -- North Carolina State coach Mark Gottfried said his team had a "golden" opportunity to help its NCAA tournament chances.For the sixth time since 2001, the San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks will square off in the playoffs, starting Sunday afternoon at the AT&T Center. Watch the game live on TSN2 starting at 1pm et/10am pt. For the 17th consecutive season, the Spurs will be in the postseason. For the seventh time since 1997, the Spurs finished with the best record in the Western Conference. The Big Three of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili returned intact and key contributors did exactly what Spurs role players do - they played sensationally. Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green, Tiago Splitter, Patty Mills, Boris Diaw and, especially newcomer Marco Belinelli, played brilliantly for stretches this season. Popovich is a master of resting his players as the season progresses and San Antonio heads to the postseason in good health. "We had an unbelievable regular season, we put ourselves in a great situation to be No. 1 overall," said Ginobili. "Were going for it, like every year." If there was ever a season the Spurs couldve folded, this wouldve been the one. Their longevity is stunning, but this season couldve very easily been a championship defense until Ray Allen stuck a dagger in the Spurs hearts. Miamis Allen made a crazy 3-pointer to tie Game 6 of the NBA Finals, a game the Heat went on to win. Miami took Game 7 to win back-to-back titles, but the inevitability of a San Antonio win in Game 6 was so clear, tape was being put up around the floor in Miami to prepare for San Antonios celebration. "What does impress me about the group is that theyve gotten themselves in this position after a devastating loss in the Finals last year," Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said earlier in the week. "I thought they were pretty amazing after Game 6 to play as hard as they did in Game 7, when I think a lot of teams would have just given in. Beyond that, they came back, put it aside and have done what theyve done. I think thats pretty impressive. I dont think a lot of people have picked up on that but I have and Im really impressed with them." The Mavericks are back in the playoffs after a one-year absence, meaning Dallas has been in the postseason 13 of the last 14 years. They earned the eighth seed after a gritty overtime loss on Wednesday to the Grizzlies in Memphis. "Yeah, well be OK," Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said immediately after the loss in Memphis. "I feel good about our team. I really do. And (Wednesday night) is a great indication of the fight we have in us. Were going to take that fight to San Antonio." The Spurs have won nine straight against their Texas rivals, including a four- game sweep this season, but that doesnt mean Dallas doesnt know what it takes to beat San Antonio. "What youve got to do against San Antonio is youve got to be a little smarter than we were in the last couple of outings," said Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki. "We feel like one little, two little mistakes and boom, its a three. A brutal missed boxout, pass out and three. Against that team youve got to be smart, youve got to execute perfectly and weve got to shoot the ball well." Nowitzki made yet another All-Star team with averages of 21.7 ppg and 6.2 rpg. He shot 90 percent from the foul line, almost 50 percent from the field and just about 40 percentt from long range.dddddddddddd Monta Ellis and Jose Calderon joined the Mavs in the offseason and formed a very strong backcourt. They combined to average 30.4 ppg and 10.4 apg. After the All-Texas match-up, the Miami Heat begin their title defense in earnest on Sunday afternoon when they welcome the Charlotte Bobcats to American Airlines Arena. Watch the game live on TSN2 starting at 3:30pm et/12:30pm pt. Miami has won the last two NBA titles and lost in the Finals three years ago to the Dallas Mavericks. The Heat have made the playoffs 10 times in the last 11 years and earned the second seed in the Eastern Conference. Miami has won four straight Southeast titles and is trying to become the first three-time champion since the Los Angeles Lakers from 1999-00 to 2001-02. "I dont need extra motivation. Im motivated enough," said LeBron James. "This is the best part of the season, its the best time of the year. Im happy to be here once again." The Heat had a real chance at the No. 1 seed, but head coach Erik Spoelstra elected to sit James and Chris Bosh the last two games. Dwyane Wade missed significant time toward the end, but he played late to get some timing back. "Weve got to carry the load," said James, who said all Heat players participated in practice for the first time since training camp. "Its great. I guess guys are ready for the playoffs." The decision to concede the No. 1 seed could hurt later in the postseason, if the Heat advance. Last season, Miami won Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers and Game 7 of the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs in South Beach. The Heat come into the postseason in a bit of a rut. They lost the last three games of the regular season, although, they did rest some key pieces. However, Miami did drop six of its last eight and James and Bosh were in the lineup for most of those setbacks. Charlotte is in the playoffs for only the second time in franchise history and was swept in four games by the Orlando Magic back in 2009-10. The Bobcats surprised the NBA world with just the second record of .500 or better in team lore at 43-39, one season after going 21-61 and compiling only 28 wins in the previous two years. What was the difference this season? That would be the offseason addition of Al Jefferson. Jefferson, the reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Month for April, averaged 21.8 points and 10.8 rebounds for the Bobcats, who were 20-9 after the All-Star break and ended with 14 wins in the last 19 games of the regular season. Jefferson was the only player in the Eastern Conference and one of only five players in the NBA averaging at least 20.0 points and 10.0 rebounds on the season. New head coach Steve Clifford infused the team with a defensive mindset. The Bobcats finished fourth in opponents scoring and sixth in opponents field- goal percentage. Charlotte did have some trouble scoring this season. The Bobcats finished 23rd in points, while Miami was 12th. The Heat ranked fifth in opponents scoring. The Bobcats won their last three regular-season games and eight of their last nine. The Heat swept all four games against the Bobcats in the regular season and are undefeated in the past 16 games between the teams. Charlotte has lost nine straight and 12 of its last 13 trips to South Beach. 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