East Rutherford, NJ (Sports Network) - Brook Lopez netted a career-high 31 points and notched the sixth double-double of his rookie campaign by adding 13 rebounds as New Jersey needed overtime to get by Oklahoma City, 103-99, at the IZOD Center.
Devin Harris returned from a two-game absence while nursing a strained right hamstring to add 17 points and eight assists to the cause while Vince Carter provided 21 points for the Nets, who claimed their fourth straight victory at home and for the third time in four games overall.
New Jersey played for the first time without forward Yi Jianlian, who is expected to miss three-to-four weeks of action with a broken right pinkie finger suffered in Friday's loss to Milwaukee. Ryan Anderson got the start for Yi and chipped in six points and nine rebounds while Keyon Dooling added 14 points.
Kevin Durant dropped 26 points and grabbed nine boards for Oklahoma City, which had gone 3-3 over its last six games -- halving its total wins for the season (6-33).
Jeff Green had 15 points and 10 boards while Russell Westbrook scored 19. Earl Watson added 11 points and nine assists in the loss.
New Jersey opened up an 81-69 advantage early in the fourth behind a 12-4 run but the Thunder used a 19-7 surge down the stretch to tie the game at 88 after Durant's tip-in with 2:05 to go.
Both teams had their chances to go ahead but none better than New Jersey's with 8.5 seconds on the clock. Lopez couldn't get his jumper to fall but Carter tipped the rebound back out to the perimeter, retaining possession. The ball came back to Carter for a three in front of the Oklahoma City bench -- and he nailed it -- but Nets head coach Lawrence Frank called a timeout moments before Carter's release, negating the potential game-winning shot.
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Following the timeout, Harris had his chance to follow Carter but his shot was off the mark. Oklahoma City had time for a lob toward the basket but it proved unsuccessful, sending the game to an extra session.
The Nets scored the first seven points in overtime but the Thunder wouldn't go quietly and a three-point play from Westbrook with 1:25 to go made it a two- point game, 97-95.
Harris drove to the hoop on the other end with Lopez cleaning up his miss with a slam, and a Carter theft of Durant on the other end sent the latter to the line for two true shots that made it a two-possession game and effectively put the game out of reach with 13.6 left.
Durant's three-pointer close out the first 12 minutes and knotted the contest at 25. The Thunder took a six-point lead on a three from Green with five minutes to play in the second and a putback from Green at the buzzer extended that lead to seven, 51-44, at the break.
The Nets were able to tie things up right out of the gate to start the second half after Lopez' layup fell through the twine. Oklahoma City quickly re- established its lead but a 16-0 run through the middle stages of the frame put New Jersey up 10. Harris' six points carried the surge.
The Thunder responded with an 8-0 spurt to close the frame, though, and trailed by only a bucket, 67-65, entering the fourth.
