Russell Westbrook returns with 32 points as Thunder beats Knicks, 105-78

During the pregame on-court invocation, the officiant prayed for Russell Westbrook. But the Knicks were the ones in need of prayer, and they didn't have one against Westbrook.

Back after missing 14 games with a fractured right hand, Westbrook was too quick, explosive, athletic and talented for the Knicks to stop. He had 32 points, seven rebounds and eight assists in 23:48 and the Knicks -- playing without Carmelo Anthony for the second straight game because of back spasms -- had no answer offensively. In their lowest-scoring game and most lopsided loss of the season, they fell to the Thunder, 105-78, Friday night at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

"They played like they wanted it more," Amar'e Stoudemire said after scoring 20 points. "At this point I don't see how a team could want it more than we do. It's unacceptable."

The Knicks lost for the 12th time in 14 games. They're 4-13, one game worse than they were at this point last season.

The Knicks started the game 4-for-28, trailed by as many as 37 points and were down by at least 20 during the last 29:38. They missed their first 14 three-pointers and ended up 2-for-19. "We really couldn't get up to the level of our opponent,'' Derek Fisher said. "That's really the first time I felt that all season.''

Moments before the game started, Westbrook hugged Fisher, his former teammate. Then he squeezed the life out of the team Fisher now coaches.

Westbrook, who wore a protective brace on his right hand, showed no rust in his first game in four weeks, shooting 12-for-17.

Westbrook got wherever he wanted on the floor. He assisted on the Thunder's first three baskets and was responsible for 22 of Oklahoma City's first 25 points.

With 3:33 left in the first quarter, he went to the bench with 14 points, having outscored the Knicks by himself. The Knicks were down 30-13 after one.

"I was excited, man," he said. "Just blessed to be able to be able to go out and play the game I love to play."

The Knicks didn't score for the first 3:08 of the second quarter, which meant Westbrook still was outscoring them from the bench.

The Knicks needed someone to pick up the slack for Anthony, but the Knicks' starters totaled 26 points and none reached double figures. J.R. Smith (two points) shot 1-for-9.

"OKC came out with a lot of energy," Stoudemire said. "It seems as if we got taken aback by that. We got to have a lion's heart."

Jose Calderon said the message Fisher delivered at halftime was to keep playing. "There was no way we could play worse," Calderon said. "I don't know what happened there."

Westbrook continued to embarrass the Knicks in the third quarter, accounting for their first 13 points and 14 of 16 before leaving for good with 3:43 left in the quarter and the Thunder up 75-42.

The Thunder (5-12) could start making up some ground in the Western Conference. MVP Kevin Durant is nearing a return from a broken right foot that has sidelined him all season.

"Their energy was higher," Fisher said. "We just couldn't bring the necessary energy to tonight's game."

By Al Iannazzone

al.iannazzone@newsday.comAl_Iannazzone

Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.