By Steve Luhm

| The Salt Lake Tribune

Oklahoma City had less trouble beating the Jazz on Friday night than Mitt Romney did running away from Herman Cain.

Playing their fourth road game in five nights against a rested opponent in one of the NBA’s most difficult venues, the Thunder breezed past Utah.

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After a 13-4 run late in the first half gave them the lead, did anybody think the Thunder would lose?

Oklahoma City manhandled the Jazz the way championship-caliber teams do against an opponent currently living somewhere between contending and rebuilding.

Even a relatively quiet 19-point performance by All-Star Kevin Durant didn’t put the Thunder in danger.

They simply turned to Russell Westbrook, who shredded Utah’s defense for 28 points and joined a growing group of opposing point guards who have feasted on the Jazz’s pick-and-roll defense.

Oklahoma City improved to 21-6 as it approaches the mid-point of the abbreviated 66-game season, despite playing only 10 home games.

The Thunder are certainly not the 1996 Chicago Bulls, who won 72 games. They aren’t even the ’97 and ’98 Jazz, who made consecutive trips to the NBA Finals.

But Oklahoma City’s issues with depth, rebounding and turnovers might not matter.

In the Western Conference this season, the list of true contenders is a short one and includes teams with greater flaws than the Thunder.

• The aging Lakers have the 1-2 punch of Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum, but little else after trading Lamar Odom and watching Derek Fisher and Metta World Peace age before their eyes.

• The defending champion Mavericks continue to play with a roster constructed more for retooling next season than winning consecutive titles.

• The Clippers feature Chris Paul and Blake Griffin and remain viable. But a season-ending injury to veteran Chauncey Billups hurts them in so many ways.

That leaves San Antonio, which has the star power, the experience and the coaching to win the West.

Oklahoma City, however, is the team to beat. Coach Scott Brooks’ players know it, too.

"They compete every night," he said. "Their competitive spirit is always at a high level. We always try to give ourselves a chance to win and, most nights, it ends up being a fourth-quarter game. That’s what you live for."

Especially stars like Durant and Westbrook.