Kevin Durant didn’t reach 30 points for the first time in eight games and he didn’t lead his team in scoring for only the sixth time all season. Thanks largely to Russell Westbrook’s 29 points, seven rebounds and six assists, the Thunder won anyway, beating the Bulls 98-85.At 19-15, the Thunder aren’t great yet. But the league’s second-youngest team has won six of its last seven games and is turning heads with its exciting, aggressive style.And Westbrook is the point guard who runs the show.Westbrook and Durant took over the game in the third quarter, when the Thunder shot 65 percent to Bulls 22 percent. They scored eight points apiece during a 27-6 run, and the Bulls never seriously threatened.Derrick Rose scored 19 points and Joakim Noah had 14 points and 14 rebounds for the Bulls, who were booed repeatedly in the second half.Since reports emerged that coach Vinny Del Negro’s job was in jeopardy and general manager Gar Forman refused to give him a vote of confidence, the Bulls had won four straight.In Monday’s second half, Del Negro said, his team played the way it had before the winning streak.The Bulls led 56-49 early in the second half when they stopped scoring and the Thunder started hitting shots. Westbrook’s driving layup and Durant’s 3-pointer capped a 15-4 run that put Oklahoma City ahead to stay, 64-60, with 6:38 left in the third.After Luol Deng made a jumper, the Thunder scored the next 12 points for a 76-62 lead. At that point, Oklahoma City was 12 of 17 from the field in the quarter while the Bulls were 5 of 29.Rose outscored the Thunder 7-2 to pull the Bulls within 10 points with 3:33 to go. But Westbrook responded with a basket and Durant hit two free throws to wrap up the victory.

NOTES—The Bulls play the Bobcats in Charlotte Tuesday night,then face the Bucks at the Bradley Center Friday evening before returning to the United Center to host Minnesota Saturday night….Westbrook’s string of double-digit assist games was snapped at four. He had none in the first half….After the first quarter, officials took a basket away from Tyrus Thomas when a video review showed his shot at the 2:09 mark failed to beat the 24-second shot clock buzzer….It was Oklahoma City’s fifth victory in 19 games when failing to score 100 points. The team is 14-1 when it hits the century mark.