PORTLAND, Ore. -- Kevin Durant said the mutual admiration between the Thunder and the Trail Blazers only goes so far. "We respect this team and they respect us, but we dont like them and they dont like us," Durant said after Oklahoma Citys hard-fought 98-95 victory over Portland on Tuesday night. "Point blank." Durant had 36 points and 10 rebounds as the Thunder evened the series against the Blazers 2-2 in their final regular-season meeting this year. Jeremy Lamb had 19 points, including a key 3-pointer with 1:38 left for the Western Conference-leading Thunder, who have won 14 of their last 16 games. Nicolas Batum had 18 points for slumping Portland, which has lost five of seven but still ranks third in the conference behind San Antonio. Robin Lopez finished with 17 points and 14 rebounds for his 19th double-double of the season. LaMarcus Aldridge, who missed a mid-range jumper in the final seconds that could have salvaged the win for Portland, was asked what he thought of Durants comment. "Were not trying to make friends out there," he said. "Were trying to win games." Portland led by as many as 13 points in the first half and held a 55-45 advantage at the break, but the Thunder kept chipping away and the teams went into the fourth quarter tied at 80. Derek Fisher hit a 3-pointer and Lamb made a layup to put the Thunder up 85-84. Portland reclaimed the lead on rookie CJ McCollums running shot, but Durant re-tied it at 91 with a long hook. The teams wrestled for the lead until Lambs 3-pointer gave the Thunder a 96-95 advantage. Damian Lillard missed a 3-pointer for Portland with 45.9 seconds left. Portland got the ball with 12.3 seconds left after officials reviewed an out-of-bounds call, but LaMarcus Aldridges mid-range jumper with 2 seconds left was off and Reggie Jackson hit free throws for the final margin. "We fought hard," Durant said. "Were a resilient team. Weve kept our heads up through adversity and tough times. Im proud of our team." Portland won two of the first three meetings between the two teams, but the Thunder won the last 105-97 in Oklahoma City last month. Durant paced the Thunder with 42 points in that one. Aldridge was a game-time decision because of soreness, but he started and finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds. The Blazers are the only team that has started the same five players in all of their games this season. Aldridge was disappointed with the loss -- and especially his final missed shot. "I couldnt throw a rock in a lake tonight," Aldridge said. Portland jumped out to a quick 18-6 lead, but the Blazers were hurt late in the opening quarter when reserve forward Joel Freelands right knee buckled underneath him and he had to be helped off the court. The extent of the injury was not immediately known, but the Blazers depend on the 6-foot-11 Brit to spell starting centre Lopez. The Thunder closed to 25-21 on Lambs 12-foot jumper early in the second quarter. Portland held them off, but Lambs dunk narrowed it to 34-32 and the Thunder finally pulled ahead 41-39 on Lambs 3-pointer. The Blazers answered with a 16-4 run to take a 55-45 lead into halftime. The Thunder again threatened when Kendrick Perkins jumper got them within 66-63. Serge Ibakas jumper with 2:18 left in the third finally gave Oklahoma City a 76-75 lead, their first of the second half. Jackson led the rally with 13 points after going 0-for-6 in the first half. The teams went into the fourth quarter tied at 80. "It was a physical game, but I like the fact that we kept competing and didnt let anything bother us," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. "We just competed, possession by possession. And thats what good teams do." The Blazers were coming off a 2-2 road trip, including 117-110 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday. Following the loss to the Thunder, they were headed to Los Angeles for a game against the Clippers on Wednesday night before the All-Star break. The Thunder were coming off a 112-100 victory over the New York Knicks, with Durants 41 points leading the way. NOTES: Portland was without guard Mo Williams, who had just returned from attending to a family matter. It was hoped that Williams could travel with the team to face the Clippers on Wednesday night. ... Aldridge and Lillard were presented with their All-Star jerseys before the game. ... Thunder guard Thabo Sefolosha appeared to injure his right hand in the first half, but he returned to start the second half with his hand taped. ... Freeland was scheduled for an MRI on his knee. ... The Thunder had three technical in the game, and the Blazers had one. Cory Schneider Devils Jersey .C. - The Carolina Hurricanes hope they now have the leadership tandem in place to turn the franchise around. Mirco Mueller Devils Jersey . Now he has a complete game. Scherzer tossed a three-hitter in his 179th career start for his first complete game and Victor Martinez hit his 16th homer to lead the Detroit Tigers a 4-0 win over the Chicago White Sox. http://www.devilssale.com/authentic-miles-wood-devils-jersey/ .com) - Tonight will go a long way in determining the two wild card spots in the Eastern Conference. Miles Wood Jersey . Lack replaced an injured Roberto Luongo late in the first period then watched defenceman Chris Tanev score the winning goal midway through the third as the Vancouver Canucks defeated the Jets 2-1 in a tight NHL game. Scott Stevens Jersey . Already owning gold from competition in Vancouver in 2010, Loch posted a combined four-run time of 3:27.526. That included a track-record third run of 51.ROME -- Fernando Llorente scored twice in the space of three minutes and Juventus restored its eight-point lead atop Serie A with a 2-0 win over relegation-threatened Livorno on Monday. Also, AC Milan won 2-1 at Genoa for its third straight victory with goals from wingers Adel Taarabt and Keisuke Honda, who scored for the first time in the Italian league. At the Juventus Stadium, Llorente struck first 32 minutes in, holding off a defender before launching in a difficult shot from an angle. His second came on a header following a corner from Andrea Pirlo, which Livornos 22-year-old goalkeeper Francesco Bardi got his hands on but couldnt stop. It was a much-needed boost for Juventus to maintain its advantage over second-place Roma, which has won six straight and hosts Juventus in the penultimate round. "The title-race is still open -- wide open," Juventus manager Antonio Conte said. "We have a challenger that is not giving up a centimetre and in our heads we need to think that Roma could win all six matches that remain, including the match against us. So weve got to stay focused and pay full attention." With its 116th straight home win, Juventus matched the Serie A record set by city rival Torino in 1947-48.dddddddddddd With six games remaining, Livorno remained third from bottom, two points behind Chievo Verona and Bologna, with the bottom three to be relegated. Milan, which has earned 10 points in its last four matches, moved level with Torino in 10th. Taarabt, the Morocco midfielder who is on loan from Queens Park Rangers, scored with a bouncing shot in the 20th from beyond the area. Then Honda finished off a counterattack by chipping in a shot over charging Genoa goalkeeper Mattia Perin. Honda, a key member of Japans World Cup squad, joined Milan from CSKA Moscow in January. He has also scored one goal in the Italian Cup. Marco Motta pulled one back for Genoa in the 73rd with a difficult shot and the hosts then pressed for an equalizer. Milan goalkeeper Christian Abbiati preserved the lead with a diving save on a shot from Stefano Sturaro in the 75th and defender Philippe Mexes cleared a shot off the line with a header seconds later. Nursing a cold, Mario Balotelli played only the final 16 minutes. Genoa remained 13th. ' ' '