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Westbrook scores 40, Thunder tie series at 2-2

By WTOP Staff

CLIFF BRUNT
AP Sports Writer

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Russell Westbrook is picking up where Kevin Durant left off.

Durant hasn’t shown the same consistent excellence in the postseason that earned the Thunder star the MVP award after the NBA regular season. Westbrook has picked up the slack, making a case for being Oklahoma City’s best player in the postseason.

Westbrook had 40 points, 10 assists and five steals in Oklahoma City’s 105-92 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night that tied the series at two games apiece.

The guard has been doing similar damage throughout the playoffs, averaging 26.6 points, 8.1 assists and 7.5 rebounds in 17 postseason games. In one stretch, he had three triple-doubles in five games.

“Just his focus on every possession on the defensive end and his poise on the offensive end — I think that’s what’s fun to watch,” Durant said. “People outside of our team don’t really look at that type of stuff, but that’s something we can definitely build on as a group, is watching him wreak havoc on the defensive end and offensively, playing with such patience.”

Tuesday’s performance matched the second-highest playoff point total of Westbrook’s career, falling short of the 43 he scored in the 2012 NBA Finals.

“Coach told us he needed maximum effort from us tonight, and it starts with me at point guard,” Westbrook said. “My job is to play both sides of the ball. If you want to win a championship, those are things you have to do.”

At times, Westbrook has been a maddening player for Thunder fans to watch. He’s a dynamic player whose supreme confidence sometimes leads to ill-advised shots and a tendency to hold the ball at the expense of offensive flow.

In Tuesday’s game, he did almost everything right. He shot 50 percent from the field and took just five 3-pointers. He made 14 of 14 free throws.

“Sometimes he’s going to go off,” Spurs guard Manu Ginobili said. “He’s capable of doing that. If he makes a lot of jumpers, it gets really tough.”

In the midst of posting a monster game, Westbrook still managed to help Durant score 31 points. It was Durant’s highest-scoring game of the series after the NBA’s leading scorer was held to a 22.7-point average in the first three games.

Serge Ibaka added nine points and eight rebounds for the Thunder, who have turned around the series since he returned from an injury that was expected to keep him out for the rest of the postseason.

“We just play well with Serge,” Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. “We can do things with Serge in the lineup that we can’t do with other guys.”

Boris Diaw had 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Tony Parker added 14 points for the Spurs, who also blew a 2-0 lead against the Thunder in this round two years ago. San Antonio will host Game 5 on Thursday and won’t be worried about the past.

“I think we shouldn’t think like that,” Parker said. “Each game is different. Each series. Each year. We worked hard all year to have home-court advantage, and now, it’s our job to protect home court.”

Oklahoma City dominated for the second consecutive game after getting blown out in the first two. The Thunder committed just seven turnovers and shot 49 percent from the field.

The Spurs scored the first eight points of the game, but things went downhill from there. A steal and dunk by Westbrook gave the Thunder a 42-32 lead with just under five minutes left in the first half. Back-to-back 3-pointers by Durant pushed Oklahoma City’s lead to 50-36.

The Thunder led 58-43 at halftime. Durant scored 22 points and Westbrook added 17 points, eight assists and four steals before the break.

Parker shot 6 of 9 in the first half, but the rest of the Spurs made just 11 of 32 before the break.

A lob from Reggie Jackson to Durant for a two-handed slam bumped Oklahoma City’s lead to 60-43. A steal and jam by Ibaka made it 66-49, and a dunk by Westbrook made it 76-49.

The Spurs closed the quarter on an 18-7 run and cut their deficit to 83-67. San Antonio’s Matt Bonner made a 3-pointer with 3:31 remaining in the game to trim Oklahoma City’s edge to 12, but the Thunder maintained control.

“We were just not focused coming out,” Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard said. “We’re not playing consistently throughout the whole game. We’re playing in spurts or increments. We’ve just got to play the whole game.”

The Thunder still need to win on the road to win the series.

“We’re just trying to look forward,” Durant said. “We know how tough it is to go in there and get a ‘W.’ We have to go on the road an handle our business. We feel better, but we’re not satisfied.”

NOTES: Jackson started for the second straight game. He sprained his right ankle on a drive to the hoop and left the game with 8:25 left in the first quarter. He returned to start the second quarter. … Thunder C Kendrick Perkins had 10 rebounds. … The Thunder improved to 5-1 in the playoffs when Westbrook has at least 10 assists. … Ginobili played just 11 minutes and scored five points. … Thunder G Thabo Sefolosha did not play for the second consecutive game. He started the first two games of the series.

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Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/CliffBruntAP .

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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