Russell Westbrook was out of sorts in the first half of Game 5 against the San Antonio Spurs. With 14 points, two rebounds, two assists and six turnovers, something was off. He was tentative, and the Oklahoma City Thunder found themselves down 48-43 at the half.
NBA playoff scores 2016: Thunder can will their way to wins behind Russell Westbrook or Kevin Durant
Westbrook shouldered the role of savior as the Thunder shocked the Spurs on the road in Game 5 to take a 3-2 series lead.
A switch flipped in the second half, however, and Westbrook willed the Thunder back from 13 down with a phenomenal fourth quarter. Oklahoma City shocked San Antonio, 95-91, in Game 5 to take a 3-2 series lead.
Westbrook had 21 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and only two turnovers in the second half on his way to 35, 11 and nine. He and the Thunder are a win away from advancing to the Western Conference Finals — and whether it's Westbrook or Game 4 hero Kevin Durant leading the way, the Thunder are poised to do it.
On Tuesday, Westbrook led the charge every time it seemed like the Spurs were going to pull away. When they built up a 13-point lead in the third, he scored seven points and dished out three assists as the Thunder pulled back to within six. And he was relentless as usual:
It was the same in the fourth after Kawhi Leonard threw down a slam with four minutes to play to give the Spurs an 88-82 lead. Westbrook kept on charging. He scored the two buckets and assisted on another to even the score at 88. The Thunder ended the game on a 13-3 run to shock the Spurs.
The Thunder were left for dead after Game 1, and even after Game 3, too. They keep coming back, though, and it’s thanks to their two stars. Neither Westbrook nor Durant will let this team fold, and now they’ve won two games in San Antonio, where the Spurs finished the season 40-1.
Many thought that this series would be the end of the Durant-Westbrook duo, but they have different plans.
2 other things
Was this Tim Duncan’s last game in San Antonio?
After not scoring in Game 4, Duncan was better this time around. He had five points, three rebounds and two blocks in 28 minutes — not great by Duncan standards, but a step forward nonetheless. The all-time great hasn't been the force that he was last season or during the regular season, and with the Spurs one game away from elimination, does Duncan have only one game left in him? He won't take the retirement tour like Kobe Bryant did, and he won't look for validation, but he won't need to. If this is Duncan's last rodeo, it was one heck of a ride. This is the Spurs, though, and counting them out now would be a mistake.
The referees continue to put their stamp on this series
It was not quite the fiasco that was the end of Game 2, but the refs certainly missed a call at the end of Game 5. With the Spurs down one with less than 10 seconds to play, they clearly tried to foul Westbrook after the Thunder inbounded the ball — Kawhi Leonard even wrapped him up slightly. The refs didn’t blow the whistle, however, and Westbrook flew to the hoop, where he was fouled while making a bucket. His extra free throw put the Thunder up four, essentially ending the game. The Thunder outplayed the Spurs down the stretch, so no excuses are necessary, but it was another iffy call from the referees in a series that has already been questioned.
Play of the night
Kawhi Leonard is a monster. He had 26 points, six rebounds and four assists and this monster jam. It seemed like this was the dagger. It gave the Spurs a six-point lead with four minutes to play, but instead, it was the last big moment for the Spurs all game. At least it was a nice dunk, Spurs fans.
2 fun things
Scores
Thunder 95, Spurs 91 (Pounding the Rock recap | Welcome to Loud City recap)
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