It took four overtimes for the Atlanta Hawks to edge the Utah Jazz in the NBA's longest game in nearly 15 years at Philips Arena Sunday. In an exhausting battle between evenly matched teams, the Hawks and Jazz produced the league's first quadruple-overtime game since Nov. 1997 when Phoenix and Portland went the distance. The longest game in NBA history was a six overtime game between the Indianapolis Olympians and the Rochester Royals in 1951. In Sunday's 68-minute epic, Joe Johnson scored 37 points and made a game-tying three-pointer in the final seconds of double OT to force another extra session. Thunder 103, Heat 87: Kevin Durant upstaged LeBron James to guide the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 103-87 win over the visiting Miami Heat Sunday. In a marquee match-up of two teams expected to challenge for the NBA title, Durant recorded 28 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for the Western Conference-leading Thunder (37-12). Durant, being touted as a candidate for the MVP award, was at his best in the second quarter, shouldering the scoring burden as All Star Russell Westbrook sat on the bench mired in foul trouble. Durant scored 11 in the quarter and pushed the Thunder to an 11-point halftime advantage. While Durant clearly got the better of fellow MVP candidate James, who finished with 17 points and seven assists, the Thunder's Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka provided enough defensive presence in the middle to stifle the Heat. Ibaka finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds and Perkins scored a season-high 16 points. Timberwolves 117, Nuggets 100: Kevin Love followed up his 51-point game with 30 points and 21 rebounds to lead Minnesota over visiting Denver. Love had his seventh career 30-20 game, which leads all active players. At 23 years old, he already has done that more times than Tim Duncan (six), Kevin Garnett (five), and Dirk Nowitzki (two). Grizzlies 102, Lakers 96: Rudy Gay scored 18 points and O.J. Mayo had 12 of his 16 in the fourth quarter, helping Memphis avoid a winless road trip by beating Los Angeles. Andrew Bynum scored 30 points on 11-of-16 shooting to lead the Lakers. Trail Blazers 90, Warriors 87: Raymond Felton scored 24 points and LaMarcus Aldridge had 18, including a fadeaway jumper and two free throws that proved the difference in the final minute, for host Portland. Suns 108, Cavaliers 83: Marcin Gortat and Markieff Morris scored 22 points apiece, and Steve Nash added 13 assists, as visiting Phoenix scored the game's first 12 points and never looked back. Spurs 93, 76ers 76: Tony Parker scored 21 points and DeJuan Blair added 19 as host San Antonio beat Philadelphia.
