Kristen Johnson's harrowing halftime experience in Oklahoma City suggests that Harry Houdini's classic water torture routine is best perfected on dry land.

Yes, we are guilty of turning the other way in horror as the Oklahoma City Thunder has escaped from the NBA abyss with an unlikely aplomb Harry Houdini might've admired.

The Thunder, which started the season a hopeful 2-24, has gone 6-5 over its last 11 games to raise its record to 12-38. There are now three teams – the Wizards, Clippers and Kings – who have shown themselves to be more abysmal than the erstwhile SuperSonics of Clay Bennett World.

As the Thunder's fortunes have taken a turn toward respectable climes on the court, where former WSU star Kyle Weaver has become an unlikely rookie starter, they still can't help making curious news off the court.

Take the Jan. 16 home game against the Detroit Pistons, for one. Kevin Durant scored 32 points and the Thunder beat Rodney Stuckey and the Pistons, 89-79, to improve to 8-33.

In the end, all that anybody will remember about the night was the halftime stunt gone awry where 17,000 fans watched as female daredevil Kristen Johnson nearly drowned in the water torture stunt first perfected by legendary escape artist Houdini in 1912.

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Houdini's first take on the crowd-pleasing stunt was escaping from an oversized milk can. Four years later he went to the water tank with the glass front. Kristen Johnson must thank him for that.

Harry Houdini in his milk can, circa 1908.

Johnson, billed as the "World’s Premier Female Escape Artist," descended into the water tank shackled in locks, Smith and Wesson handcuffs and leg irons, and the lid was padlocked above her.

And there she struggled to free herself for more than 3 minutes before blacking out in a hypoxic seizure and sinking to the bottom of the tank as a concerned assistant scrambled to save her.

In the end, she escaped suffering nothing more than wounded pride, allowing the Oklahoma City faithful to enjoy a guilt-free victory.