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OKLAHOMA CITY - Kevin Durant is taking nothing for granted these days.The reigning MVP missed the first 17 games this season with a broken bone in his right foot, and then played three road games before making his home debut Tuesday night. He got a rousing welcome back from the crowd, and scored 23 points to help the Thunder to a 114-101 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.Just to play here is a blessing, he said. Ive been saying that for a while, but to be out for so long and finally get a chance to play in front of our home crowd — I felt good getting my name called in the starting lineup.Durant was 7 for 11 from the field and 8 for 8 at the line. He also had nine rebounds and seven assists in 29 minutes.Russell Westbrook scored 28 points for the Thunder, who have won five of six after starting the season with a 3-12 record.Were still trying to work some things out, Durant said. You know, Im sure a lot of people are expecting us to be back to playoff-type of basketball right now, but were just like any other team, just trying to continue to just build and keep getting better.O.J. Mayo had 18 points and Giannis Antetokounmpo added 17 for the Bucks, who have lost five of six.We let those guys get in the lane, get in our paint, and we fouled a lot tonight, Mayo said.Durant missed his first two shots, but drained his third, a 3-pointer with 8:08 left in the first quarter. He took a break after scoring seven points in the first 4:51.Westbrooks powerful one-handed putback on a missed 3-pointer by Reggie Jackson put the Thunder up 61-52 at halftime. Oklahoma City shot 60 per cent in the second quarter after a sluggish first.Durant gave the fans another thrill early in the fourth quarter. He pulled in a defensive rebound, brought the ball up court and then used a pick by Kendrick Perkins to get free for an easy two-handed slam that gave the Thunder a 93-82 lead.Durant added a jumper and a no-look bounce pass to Serge Ibaka for a dunk that gave the Thunder a 103-88 lead. Durant left for good with 3:36 remaining and the Thunder holding a 109-90 lead.Hes getting back into rhythm, Westbrook said. Hes getting back in the swing of things.TIP-INSThunder: Oklahoma City was called for a clear path foul after Durant threw a poor pass that was intercepted, and Anthony Morrow had to foul to prevent an easy hoop in the closing seconds of the first quarter. ... Perkins was issued a technical foul with 8:56 left in the second quarter.Bucks: Milwaukee shot 52 per cent in the first quarter to take a 31-26 lead, but shot 36 per cent the rest of the game. ... G Brandon Knight, the Bucks leading scorer for the season with nearly 18 points per game, finished with nine points on 2-for-10 shooting.FINDING THE GROOVEOklahoma City scored a season-high 114 points and shot better than 50 per cent from the field for just the second time this season. Oklahoma City scored at least 100 points for the fourth time in five games after scoring 100 or more just four times in its first 16.FALLING APARTThe Bucks have allowed at least 107 points in four of their past five games. Their opponent shot at least 50 per cent in all four of those games, all losses.We are a young team, so we are going to make mistakes, and make more mistakes the next game, coach Jason Kidd said. We just have to learn from them and correct them. We have to see them before they happen so that we can help one another.QUOTE OF THE NIGHTI just try to feel the game out. Im not trying to worry about doing so much in so little time, I guess, and the last few games, Im just going out there and playing, and whatever happens happens. — Durant.UP NEXTBucks: Host the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday.Thunder: Host Cleveland on Thursday.___Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/CliffBruntAP Tyreke Evans Jersey . His brother — Red Lake chiropractor Richard Radford — is en route to Sochi to cheer on his younger brother. "Ive been getting texts from Eric and he just says the atmosphere is amazing, its special,” he said. Wholesale Pacers Jerseys . -- Oakland Athletics starting pitchers Jarrod Parker and A. http://www.cheappacersjerseys.com/. -- Top-seed Shahar Peer and Canadian Eugenie Bouchard advanced to the second round of the inaugural WTA Citi Open. Cheap Pacers Jerseys . According to a report from ESPN, the veteran safety has signed another one-year deal with the team Raiders, the team that drafted him, and who he returned to last year after a long stint with the Green Bay Packers. T.J. Leaf Jersey . The former Edmonton Oilers defenceman was with the St. Louis Blues in training camp on a professional tryout. Whitney, 30, had four goals and 13 points in 34 games with the Oilers last season. TORONTO -- The Toronto Marlies were supposed to clinch their third straight North Division title on Saturday. Instead, Tim Schaller completed his third-period natural hat trick at 19:02 and Phil Varone scored the winner 15 seconds later as the Rochester Americans erased a 3-0 deficit to top the Marlies 4-3 in American Hockey League action. Rochester scored four goals on 19 third period shots while holding Toronto to just nine shots on goal in the final 40 minutes. "The challenge that I have here tonight is the guys with letters on their sweater. Our captain (Trevor Smith) had the puck on his stick, didnt get it deep, game over," said Marlies coach Steve Spott. "Thats our expectation of (Korbinian) Holzer, Trevor Smith, Jerred Smithson -- they have to be better, they know that, I called them out after the game and Im calling them out now. "They have to be better." The win stretches the Americans win streak to three games and helps them keep pace with the Charlotte Checkers for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Smith, who was on the ice for three Rochester (33-27-10) goals, failed to get the puck deep off a centre ice faceoff. The Americans capitalized with Varone beating Christopher Gibson with a wrist shot for his 16th of the season just 15 seconds after Schaller had tied it. "Its disappointing. Were trying to do the best we can out there and try and lead the way for the guys and were making mistakes, were taking penalties and it wasnt a good day for our group," said Smith. "We didnt get the puck deep, it took a couple bounces, they got 40-plus shots on net, one of them is going to take a lucky bounce, I think it hit a stick and Gibby didnt even have a chance on it Schaller got Rochester on the board at 4:03 of the third one timing a Brayden Irwin pass home for his fifth of the season. At 16:40 of the final frame, Schaller poked home a lose puck, on a power play, for his sixth of the season making it a one-goal game.dddddddddddd Then, with their net empty for an extra attacker, Schaller completed the hat trick poking home a lose puck tying the game 3-3 with 58 seconds remaining. The goal was initially waved off as referee Jean-Philippe Sylvain believed the puck was head-butted in. However, upon review, Spott was told, "It went from the head, it touched Christopher Gibson and then went off one of their players stick. You have to trust the video, you have to trust the call." Irwin finished the night with four assists. Josh Leivo scored twice and Brad Ross had the other for the Marlies (41-22-6). Gibson made 39 saves in the loss. Andrey Makarov made 13 saves for his third career AHL win. Leivo gave Toronto a three-goal cushion with just 21 seconds remaining in the second period one-timing a Smith feed past Makarov for his 20th goal of the season. The Marlies scored twice, on their first two shots of the game, to open a 2-0 lead five minutes in. Ross opened the scoring backhanding a Sam Carrick feed blocker side past Makarov for his sixth of the season. It was Rosss first goal in 11 games and first in two months. Leivo made it 2-0 at 5:12, on a power play, beating Makarov with a shot from the face-off dot for his 19th goal of the season. Saturday was Leivos fourth multi-goal game of the season. "Good on him," said Spott. "We had a meeting with him this morning, he said hed rebound, he did. He played like we need him to play." Torontos Carter Ashton, who was playing in his first game since an emergency recall by the Maple Leafs on Thursday, had two assists. Notes: Frazer McLaren (hip flexor), Andrew MacWilliam (concussion) and Spencer Abbott (shoulder) all missed Saturdays game. Defenceman Zachary Yuen and forward Fabrice Herzog were healthy scratches. With goaltender Drew MacIntyre on emergency recall with the Maple Leafs, the Marlies recalled Christopher Gibson from the ECHL Friday. ' ' '