Basketball: The boss of the boards

Steven Adams grabbed eight rebounds in Oklahoma's play-off win in Los Angeles yesterday. Photo / AP

Oklahoma City established a 2-1 lead in their NBA Western Conference semifinal series against the Los Angeles Clippers, as Steven Adams led the Thunder in rebounding yesterday.

The Kiwi rookie continued his run of significant game time, playing 18 minutes and grabbing eight boards in the Thunder's 118-112 victory at the Staples Centre in California.

Adams has averaged almost 20 minutes in Oklahoma's last five play-off games, four of which the Thunder have won.

The back-up centre played into the fourth quarter yesterday before being substituted. He chimed in with four points on two-of-four shooting from the floor, adding two blocks while also finding himself on the end of a rejection from Blake Griffin. The 2.13m centre, who is often plagued by fouling problems, recorded just one personal foul in a disciplined performance.

After suffering a heavy defeat in game one of the series, the Thunder have bounced back with consecutive victories.

NBA MVP Kevin Durant top-scored for Oklahoma with 36 points, while Russell Westbrook contributed 23 points and 13 assists and Serge Ibaka scored 20 points. Oklahoma shot 56 per cent and controlled the paint against a Clippers team that never got into their favoured run-and-gun mode. Neither team ever led by double digits.

Emotions boiled in the third, with double technicals called on Matt Barnes and Kendrick Perkins, who stared hard at each other. Perkins took a step toward Barnes but got pushed away by Westbrook. By then, Griffin was already bloodied. He got hit in the face by Ibaka but the only call by the referees was three seconds on the Clippers. Griffin held a towel to his gushing nose and changed his jersey during a timeout.

The Clippers rallied at the end of the period, outscoring Oklahoma 8-0 to take a 90-86 lead. Los Angeles were still in it at 108-107 but Westbrook hit a three and Durant followed with a turnaround jump shot with 1m 23s left to put the Thunder up by six.

In yesterday's other NBA play-off, the Indiana Pacers also won on the road to take a 2-1 series lead, beating the Washington Wizards 85-63, the lowest play-off score ever posted by the hosts.