Kendrick Perkins challenged his Oklahoma City Thunder teammates before a showdown of division leaders with the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Thunder had lost their first two games this season against other top teams in the Western Conference, and Perkins wanted that trend to stop immediately.
It was not easy, but Oklahoma City got the job done.
Kevin Durant scored 35 points, Russell Westbrook added 23 and Oklahoma City's All-Star tandem scored all of the Thunder's points in overtime in a 117-111 victory over the Clippers.
Westbrook connected on a three-pointer from the left wing to open the scoring in overtime, and Durant rattled one in from about the same spot two possessions later for a 108-104 advantage. Westbrook then answered DeAndre Jordan's three-point play with a baseline jumper, and Oklahoma City were able to close it out from the foul line.
Thabo Sefolosha, who hounded Clippers All-Star Chris Paul much of the game, said: "This is a good win for us, especially against a team like that, that had some success lately."