Even a 54-point performance from Russell Westbrook couldn't save the Oklahoma City Thunder from being stuck in a tough position. Not only did the team lose to the Indiana Pacers, 116-104, on Sunday night with a possible playoff spot still on the line, but Westbrook will end up suspended for the team's next game barring a decision from the league after receiving his 16th technical foul
NBA scores 2015: Russell Westbrook’s 54 points not enough for Thunder against Pacers
A big night for Russell Westbrook was overshadowed by some bad news for OKC, the Celtics and Pacers took big steps in the East playoff race and the rest of the action from Sunday in the NBA.
It was another defining performance on the court from Westbrook, who added nine assists and eight rebounds to his career-high point total. The Thunder point guard did pretty much everything for his team, taking 43 of its 95 shots while scoring over half of its points. In a season full of masterpieces, this was one of the most impressive.
Westbrook's brilliance was overshadowed, however, by the team's ongoing defensive issues and a questionable technical foul call near the end of the game. Now the Thunder are not only tied with the New Orleans Pelicans for the No. 8 seed without the tiebreaker, but their best player could be sidelined for a crucial game.
Westbrook was whistled in the fourth quarter after running into a screen and received his 16th technical foul of the season on the play. The point guard was noticeably upset afterwards for good reason: he will be automatically suspended for Monday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers unless the league decides to step in and rescind the call. Given the significance of the suspension in question and the debatable nature of the call on the floor, it's possible the league will overturn things. Kevin Durant certainly wasn't happy about it:
That's some bullshit
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) April 13, 2015 The situation wouldn’t be nearly as dire if Oklahoma City had been playing better defense of late. The team allowed a poor Indiana offense to reach its second-highest scoring total of the season, and that was with the Pacers shooting just 22-of-35 from the free throw line.
C.J. Miles matched a season high with 30 points on 9-of-14 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds, George Hill scored 19 points on 6-of-10 shooting and Roy Hibbert added a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds. Indiana shot 53.2 percent as a team, with the five starters shooting 64 percent.
The Thunder are in a tough spot either way, given that the Pelicans hold the tiebreaker for the final playoff spot after winning the season series. OKC and New Orleans are currently tied in the standings at 43-37, and both teams get to play lowly Minnesota before the end of the season. Unless the Thunder can win their final two games, it’ll be unlikely they can pass the Pelicans in the standings.
That makes the status of Westbrook for Monday night huge, and could potentially make or break the team’s season. After missing a chance to get a crucial game in the standings by falling short against the Pacers on Sunday night, OKC is left to the whims of the league office to keep its star player eligible.
3 other things we learned
The East playoff race is coming together. Indiana wasn't the only team to earn a huge win Sunday night. The Milwaukee Bucks clinched the No. 6 seed with a 96-73 win over the Brooklyn Nets, and the Boston Celtics took a major step towards earning their own spot with a 117-78 beatdown of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Boston now has a one-game lead over the Pacers and Nets for the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference after showing signs of life over the past few weeks under up-and-coming coach Brad Stevens.
The Pacers, who won their fifth straight game Sunday, are fighting to stay alive given that the Nets hold the tiebreaker for the No. 8 seed. Indiana's final two games are against the Washington Wizards and Memphis Grizzlies, while the Nets get the Chicago Bulls and Orlando Magic. It's fair to say the Pacers should be applauded for making it this close, but Brooklyn is in the driver's seat.
Pelicans leave Thunder with a chance. New Orleans could've more or less put away the race for the No. 8 seed with a victory Sunday, but fell short in a 121-114 loss to the Rockets. James Harden came out on top in a battle of MVP candidates, scoring 30 points on 10-of-18 shooting, with Dwight Howard pitching in 19 points and 11 rebounds. Anthony Davis led New Orleans with 27 points, seven rebounds and four assists, but the team was failed by a weak defensive effort. Now the Pelicans have left OKC with at least a chance of taking that No. 8 seed unless they can beat the red-hot San Antonio Spurs in the final game of the season.
Back to blowouts for San Antonio. The Spurs took a break from their double-digit blowouts to slip by the Rockets on Friday, but it didn't last long. The team crushed the Phoenix Suns, 107-91, on Sunday for its 11th consecutive victory and 19th win in 22 tries. This time it was Tim Duncan leading the way with 22 points, 10 rebounds and four assists, while Kawhi Leonard added 18 points and nine rebounds. It took the Spurs a while to get healthy and going, but there may not be a more dangerous team heading into the postseason than the defending champs.
Play of the Night
Isaiah Thomas never quite worked out in Phoenix, but the electric guard has quickly settled in with the Celtics. This drive-and-dish does a pretty nice job of summing up how dangerous Thomas can be when he's right.
1 fun thing
John Wall playing a bunch of reserves was unsurprisingly cruel.
Final scores
Washington Wizards 108, Atlanta Hawks 99 (Bullets Forever recap | Peachtree Hoops recap)
Milwaukee Bucks 96, Brooklyn Nets 73 (Brew Hoop recap | Nets Daily recap)
Boston Celtics 117, Cleveland Cavaliers 78 (CelticsBlog recap | Fear The Sword recap)
Indiana Pacers 116, Oklahoma City Thunder 104 (Indy Cornrows recap | Welcome To Loud City recap)
Houston Rockets 121, New Orleans Pelicans 114 (The Dream Shake recap | The Bird Writes recap)
San Antonio Spurs 107, Phoenix Suns 91 (Pounding The Rock recap | Bright Side Of The Sun recap)
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