BOSTON -- With both Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook sitting out for the first time since the franchise set up shop in Oklahoma City, the Thunder needed about a half to figure things out. And then the Western Conference leaders put the lottery-bound Boston Celtics away. "We take pride in playing hard no matter whos on the floor," coach Scott Brooks said after his team went on a 17-2 third-quarter run to beat Boston 101-83 on Friday night. "Obviously, were a better team with Kevin and Russell. But it doesnt make us not a team." Durant, the NBA scoring leader, missed his first game of the season, joining fellow All-Star Westbrook on the bench. That was only a minor setback, with Serge Ibaka scoring nine of his 21 points and adding five rebounds in the pivotal third quarter to lead Oklahoma City to its sixth straight victory. Jeremy Lamb came off the bench to score 19 points, and Reggie Jackson had 14 points and eight assists. "Everybodys just got to do their job a little bit better and a little bit harder," said Thunder centre Kendrick Perkins, a former Celtic, who had nine rebounds. "Its our first time playing without both of them, so it was good." Durant was the franchises first pick in 2007, its final year as the Seattle SuperSonics, and Westbrook was their first-round pick after the team moved to Oklahoma City for the following season. Together, they led the Thunder to the 2012 NBA Finals and were poised for another deep run last year before Westbrook was injured in the first round series against Houston. Oklahoma City has managed to stay atop the West with Westbrook out since Christmas to recover from right knee surgery. And Durant has been the reason, going on a scoring tear with at least 30 points in nine consecutive games before sitting out Friday night. But Durant watched this one from the bench in warmups, then was icing his right shoulder in the locker room after the game, joking around with Westbrook. "Theyre a good team without him -- as you can see," Celtics guard Phil Pressey said. Brooks said he did not know if his star would return on Saturday night against Philadelphia. "Well see how he wakes up," the coach said. Jeff Green scored 16 points and Gerald Wallace scored 12 of his 13 points in the first half, before the Thunder pulled away with a 17-2 run in the third quarter. Rajon Rondo had eight assists and five points in his fifth game since returning from reconstructive knee surgery. The Celtics have lost 13 of 15 games. "Theyre down Kevin Durant, and I think their team is thinking OK, this is an opportunity for a lot of guys that dont play as much when hes playing minutes," Celtics centre Kris Humphries said. "Something happened. You guys all saw the game. It wasnt great. Thanks for staying for the whole game." The Thunder allowed the Celtics to open a five-point lead early in the second quarter but then scored 18 of the next 22 points to take a nine-point lead. It was a two-point game after Boston scored the first basket of the second half, but Oklahoma City opened a 60-53 lead and then scored 17 of the next 19 points. In all, Oklahoma City outscored the Celtics 27-13 in the third. Notes: Rondo became the sixth player in Celtics history to reach the 4,000-assist plateau. Bill Russell is next, with 4,100. ... The Thunder have the best record in Western Conference and are 6-0 on the road against Eastern Conference teams. They will try to remain perfect Saturday at Philadelphia... Celtics F Jared Sullinger dislocated his right index finger in the first half but returned to the game. John Stallworth Womens Jersey . With the results, North America claimed 2.5 of the three available points, opening up a 17.5-12.5 lead in the overall standings. A total of 60 points are available, meaning the first team to 30.5 points will win the Continental Cup. Justin Layne Womens Jersey . Rosbergs time of 1 minute, 33.185 seconds at the Bahrain International Circuit was a quarter of a second faster than Hamilton, who had to abandon his final flying lap after running wide at the first corner. http://www.steelerspronfl.com/Youth-Mike...r-Elite-Jersey/. Price was hurt at the start of Wednesdays practice after facing just one shot as the team worked on their power play. He left the ice in discomfort and appeared to be favouring his leg. A Habs source told TSNs John Lu that Price suffered the injury in Sochi and not before the Olympics. Jerome Bettis Youth Jersey . Reyes, 26, was traded from Atlanta to Toronto in July 2010 and spent the remainder of the season in the minors. He began 2011 in the majors and made 20 starts with the Blue Jays, going 5-8 with a 5.40 earned run average before he was waived on Aug. Rocky Bleier Womens Jersey . Mickelson shot a 2-under 70 after opening with a 77 -- his worst score of the season -- on TPC San Antonios AT&T Oaks Course. Lefty was 11 strokes behind leader Steven Bowditch, the Australian who had a 67 to reach 8-under 136.LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Charlie Strong remains Louisvilles football coach for the moment, telling assistants Saturday morning he hasnt decided to accept Texas offer to become its coach. Cardinals football spokesman Rocco Gasparro said Saturday that Strong told his staff that "no decision had been made" on whether to leave the school after four years. The coach has not met with athletic director Tom Jurich and university President James Ramsey as expected because the ADs return from his Colorado vacation was delayed by weather. A person familiar with Texas search told The Associated Press on Friday night that Strong was expected to accept the schools offer to replace Mack Brown, who stepped down last month. Contract details were not immediately available, but Brown was paid more than $5 million per season. Gasparro said there was no timetable on a decision by Strong, who is 37-15 with the Cardinals, including 3-1 in bowl games. "Its a difficult decision for him," Gasparro said. Strong, 53, met this week with new Texas athletic director Steve Patterson about the coaching vacancy, for which several prominent names hhave been mentioned as candidates.dddddddddddd Among them were Florida States Jimbo Fisher -- who agreed to a contract extension this week while preparing the top-ranked Seminoles for Mondays BCS national championship showdown with No. 2 Auburn -- UCLAs Jim Mora and Baylors Art Briles, both of whom said publicly they were staying in their current jobs. Strong turned down Tennessees offer to become its coach in December 2012. He had two stints as an assistant at Florida, first under Steve Spurrier and then as defensive co-ordinator for Urban Meyers two national championship teams. In 2010, Louisville hired him to take over the program and he quickly righted the Cardinals, who are moving into the Atlantic Coast Conference next season. Strong would be Texas first black head football coach, and he inherits a program aching to return to its place among the nations elite programs. Browns Longhorns won the national championship after the 2005 season and returned to the national championship game after the 2009 season. But the Lon