LOS ANGELES -- Kid's stuff is how Kevin Durant described his game-winning shot.

Durant's 19-foot jumper with 5.8 seconds left was the difference, and the 6-foot-9 forward sealed the win by blocking point guard Chris Paul's shot before the final horn, boosting the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 100-99 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night at Staples Center.

"No doubt the block is great for our team, but as a kid, you would hit the game-winner all the time," said Durant, who finished with 24 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.

Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook scored 19 of his 33 points in the second half and dished out seven assists. Forward Serge Ibaka contributed 17 points and eight rebounds for Oklahoma City, winners of eight of its past nine games.

"To be honest, that was the most carefree I felt the whole game," said Durant, who struggled somewhat offensively, regarding his game-winning bucket. Durant made 10 of 24 shots and only one of seven 3-pointers. "I try not to think about it. When I get the ball, I just try to be me."

Oklahoma City (19-9) got a game-high 11 rebounds from center Steven Adams.

Paul had 32 points on 11-of-19 shooting, making four of six 3-point tries and adding 10 assists to lead the Clippers, who lost their third straight. Forward Blake Griffin and guard J.J. Redick scored 15 apiece for Los Angeles (16-13).

"We didn't get the key stops (down) the stretch," said Paul, who scored 18 points in the first half. "Russell hit a three and then he hit midrange. We executed offensively until I got my shot blocked on the last play.

"No moral victories today. We have been a possession away on all of those close games, but it does no good unless we figure out a way to start winning."

Paul gave the Clippers a 99-98 lead with 10.9 seconds left after retrieving a loose ball. Westbrook was unable to field an inbounds pass from guard Dion Waiters, allowing Paul to score on a layup.

However, Durant's late-game heroics wiped the Thunder's miscue slate clean.

"We just need to play better, especially down the stretch," said Griffin, who had 13 of his points in the second after an awful first half in which he missed seven of his eight field-goal attempts. "I think that is where we have lost games this season. Down the stretch, we just have not made enough plays or gotten stops, which we were doing more of earlier this year."

Ibaka's jumper in the lane tied the score at 93 with 3:13 remaining in the contest before the teams exchanged leads the rest of the way.

Griffin's fade-away bank shot gave the Clippers a two-point lead with 2:08 left.

Westbrook's 3-pointer lifted Oklahoma City to a 96-95 lead, but Griffin's dunk put Los Angeles back up 97-96 with 37.8 seconds.

Westbrook answered with a jumper to give the Thunder the lead again with 29.1 seconds remaining before Paul's bucket gave Los Angeles its final lead.

"I thought we did a good job of staying locked in," said Westbrook, who connected on 11 of 25 attempts and two of five 3-pointers. "A lot of things didn't go our throughout the whole game, but I thought we did great job of just sticking together."

Both clubs finished shooting 47.1 percent.

The Clippers went up by as much as eight in the third quarter before the Thunder rallied. Westbrook's layup gave Oklahoma City a brief 62-60 lead, but the Clippers used a 14-4 spurt for a 74-66 advantage after a 3-pointer by Redick with 3:33 left in the quarter.

The Thunder cut the deficit 74-72 on a floater by Waiters with 1:27 left in the third, but a jumper by guard Lance Stephenson and a Griffin free throw gave the Clippers a 77-72 lead heading in the final quarter.

Paul passed Terry Porter (7,160) for No. 13 on the NBA's all-time assists list in the first half. Paul now has 7,166 overall.

NOTES: The Clippers played without reserve G Austin Rivers (right ankle sprain) and F Paul Pierce (back). Rivers, injured in Saturday's loss to the Houston Rockets, probably won't play again when the Clippers face the Los Angeles Lakers on Christmas night. Pierce's status is unknown. ... Oklahoma City outscored Los Angeles 19-8 on fastbreak points. ... Clippers coach Doc Rivers said he still enjoys a "terrific relationship" with coach Billy Donovan despite Austin Rivers backing out of a verbal commitment to Florida, then coached by Donovan, and attending Duke more than five years ago. ... This is the first of four meetings between the clubs, but they won't clash again until they play three times in March. ... The Thunder meet the Lakers on Wednesday at Staples Center.