Oklahoma City • Russell Westbrook finally looked like Russell Westbrook.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have been trying to free their All-Star point guard from the clutches of Utah’s defense for an entire series. They’ve posted him up. They’ve tried to create mismatches for him. They’ve run him through myriad of pick and rolls. Not much worked through four games.
And then came Game 5.
His performance in keeping the Thunder alive in a first-round series against the Jazz will go down as one of the best in NBA playoff history. There were 45 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists and five made 3-pointers. Most importantly, his sheer will impacted the game. The series felt Russell Westbrook for the first time. And it couldn’t have come too soon for the Thunder.
“I was just trying to stay aggressive, man,” Westbrook said. “We got downhill tonight [off the dribble]. I was just trying to pick my spots. The same shots I’ve been getting, they went down tonight. I have to concentrate on making them. I thought our team did a good job of staying together through it all.”
There has to be a certain amount of mayhem and anarchy for a team to rally from a 25-point deficit. And that’s where Westbrook thrives. He was able to find his entire package. He got to the rim easily but also made shots from the perimeter and midrange in leading the fourth largest playoff comeback in NBA history.
His job was made easier by Rudy Gobert’s foul issues. But Westbrook was on such a roll by the time Gobert returned that there was nothing the Jazz could do to stop him.
“I thought Russ did an unbelievable job of taking what they were giving him,” OKC forward Paul George said. “They went under his screens, so he stopped and popped. I thought he kept the tempo going, and he was himself in the fast break. I thought Russ did a really good job. He just played the game and whatever they did, he did the opposite. He was special.”
Thunder coach Billy Donovan was also very good tactically. He played Westbrook and George through the entire second half, correctly gambling that the momentum and Chesapeake Energy Arena crowd would provide enough adrenaline for both to make it through 44 minutes of playing time.
Donovan sat one of his three stars, Carmelo Anthony, in favor of Jerami Grant, and Grant’s athleticism and activity had a significant impact on the rally. Donovan also employed a switching defense, which slowed down Utah’s offense.
The Thunder have to do this twice more, but they feel they are capable with their talent. And they feel a road win in Friday’s Game 6 is within their grasp with the Jazz on their heels.
“We just know it’s one game at a time,” Westbrook said. “In the playoffs, you have to be able to win on the road if you want to win the series. We know what we have to do. We have to go there and take care of business.”
