While playing without forward Kevin Durant is a factor, it is only one reason for fourth-quarter meltdowns.
When the Thunder took on Dallas, they once again were given the opportunity to fall apart and allow a team to steal a victory from them.
But this time, they finally put the pieces of the puzzle together to pull out an 117-114 victory over the Mavericks at the Chesapeake Energy Arena.
"It's just buckling down," Thunder guard Dion Waiters said.
"We just hate to lose knowing you had a chance to win. So we have to come out here from the tip and just play hard, trust one another, especially on the defensive end."
Oklahoma City guard Russell Westbrook scored 31 points to lead six players in double figures. He shot 12 of 22 from the field to go along with 11 assists, seven turnovers and five steals. Forward Serge Ibaka collected 16 points, nine rebounds and a key block, while Kiwi Steven Adams had six points, four rebounds and three assists.
"I think we're moving closer and closer to, at least from an offensive standpoint, really moving the basketball," Thunder coach Billy Donovan said.
"I think we really found some scoring tonight. We had a lot of guys in double figures. The ball got from one side of the floor to the other. I thought we got really good contributions off the bench."
Deron Williams led the Mavericks (9-5) with 20 points and six assists. Wesley Matthews added 18 points while forward Dirk Nowitzki scored 11 points on five of seven shooting.
"I thought we were poor on defense the entire game," Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. "You give up 117 points. We've been giving up 100 on average. It's just not getting it done. I think we loss some of our defensive edge."
Warriors go to 15 straight
Golden State guard Klay Thompson scored 21 points, Stephen Curry had 19 and seven assists, and the Warriors won their 15th straight to match the best start in league history with a 118-105 win over the Denver Nuggets.
The Warriors are the third NBA team to start the season 15-0 and the first defending champions to do so. The 1948-49 Washington Capitals and the 1993-94 Houston Rockets also began with 15 straight wins. The Rockets went on to win their first of two consecutive NBA titles that season.
"It's a huge accomplishment coming off a championship and taking care of business 15 straight times to start the season," Curry said. "You couldn't ask for a better start, obviously."
The Warriors have not avoided talking about their record-setting start, choosing to acknowledge it often as the wins piled up.
"Maybe two games ago it became a real conversation in the locker room," Curry said. "Now that we're at 15 let's get 16."
Golden State will go for the record at home against the Lakers.
The Warriors are on the cusp of history without head coach Steve Kerr, who is recovering from two offseason back surgeries. Interim coach Luke Walton has kept in constant communication with Kerr and credits his system for the success.
"All we're doing is following his leadership," Walton said. "I'm just glad to not be letting my boss Steve down."
Darrell Arthur, who started because forward Kenneth Faried was out with a sprained left ankle, led Denver with a season-high 21 points. Danilo Gallinari and Will Barton had 19 points each and Emmanuel Mudiay had 17 and eight assists for the Nuggets (6-8).
"Darrell was terrific," Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. "He comes out 9-of-12, 21 points, eight rebounds. Darrell stepped up and had a heck of a game."
Davis leads Pelicans to win
Anthony Davis scored 32 points, grabbed a season-high 19 rebounds and nailed a critical three-pointer with 54.5 seconds left to power the New Orleans Pelicans to a 122-116 victory over the Phoenix Suns at the Smoothie King Center.
Davis' long-range jumper came with the shot clock running down and the game tied at 109. Twice earlier in the possession, Davis got the ball only to be quickly double-teamed by Markieff Morris and Eric Bledsoe.
Career high assists tally for Lillard
Portland point guard Damian Lillard scored 30 points, dished out a career-high 13 assists and grabbed six rebounds, as the Trail Blazers defeated the Lakers 107-93 at Staples Center.
CJ McCollum scored 19 points and recorded five assists, while Mason Plumlee finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Trail Blazers (6-9), who beat the Lakers for the six consecutive time. They have won five in a row at Staples.
Raptors beat Clippers
DeMarre Carroll and DeMar DeRozan both scored 21 points, sparking the Toronto Raptors to a 91-80 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Luis Scola added 20 points and eight rebounds and Kyle Lowry contributed 13 points, 10 assists and three steals, helping the Raptors avoid blowing a 29-point first-half lead late in the contest.
JJ Redick scored 17 points and Chris Paul had 13 points and 11 assists as the Clippers lost their third successive game.
Nets avenge loss to Celtics
Brook Lopez had 23 points and 10 rebounds, and Joe Johnson scored 10 of his 17 points in a decisive second quarter as the Brooklyn Nets scored a 111-101 victory over the Boston Celtics at the Barclays Center.
Brooklyn (3-11) avenged a loss sustained at Boston just 48 hours prior.
