Scott Brooks is no longer winless as Thunder coach.

They nearly stood alone, looking up from the bottom of the abyss.

On the verge of making franchise history in the midst of their Oklahoma City honeymoon, the Thunder came up short when it defeated the Memphis Grizzlies, 111-103, on Saturday night to snap their losing streak at 14 games.

Those 14 consecutive losses matched a record it took the late SuperSonics 41 seasons to establish in Seattle. The Boomers (AKA Thunder) might get another shot at this record in what is shaping up to be an unforgettable season, but they let this opportunity slip away.

What went wrong?

Blame falls squarely on second-year stars Kevin Durant (30 points) and Jeff Green (22 points, two clutch 3-pointers in the fourth quarter), who worked their nefarious magic and paved the way for interim coach Scott Brooks' first Thunder victory.

Also culpable was rookie point guard and No. 4 overall draft pick Russell Westbrook, who got his first NBA start and contributed 12 points, five rebounds and four assists while playing a career-high 38 minutes.

Troubling existential question: If the Thunder beats the bumbling Grizzlies in Memphis and no one notices, does it still count in the NBA standings?

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Only a select group of people seemed to notice the landmark victory. Fewer than 12,000 showed up on the banks of the Mississippi River to watch Memphis break down in the fourth quarter and allow the Thunder to steal a victory and improve their NBA-worst record to 2-16.

Buried in Bedlam: Worse still, sports fans and journalists alike in Oklahoma City nearly missed the triumph entirely because they were entranced by the annual Hatfields vs. McCoys skirmish they call Bedlam, otherwise known as the college football epic pitting Oklahoma against Oklahoma State. While Desmond Mason was working hard to help the Thunder prevail in a decisive fourth quarter, all eyes were trained on Stillwater, where the Sooners and Cowboys were playing fastbreak football in a game that totaled 102 points, apparently just enough to lift Oklahoma over Texas in the sagely BCS rankings.

When it was over in Memphis and the Thunder stood triumphant, there was no Berry Tramel, no Jenni Carlson providing delightfully incisive commentary on video at the Oklahoman's Web site. There was a spiraling silence, as beat reporter Darnell Mayberry was left on his own in Tennessee to report the stunning news.

The good news: The timely victory vaults the Thunder far ahead of the wretched pace set by the 1972-73 Philadephia 73ers, who didn't notch their second victory until game No. 23. The Sixers limped home with a 9-73 record, which still stands as the most inglorious mark in NBA annals.

The good news, part II: As adroitly noted by the gleefully irreverent blogger benditlikebennett, the victory pulls Brooks even with the departed P.J. Carlesimo for most coaching victories in Thunder history.

On tap: The Thunder stay on the road this week for three games. Waiting in the wings for the Thunder juggernaut are 6-11 Charlotte (Wednesday), 13-5 Orlando (Friday) and 9-9 Miami (Sunday).

Stay tuned.