Russell Westbrook Brought The Thunder Back

The Thunder weren’t supposed to get this one. Down 3-1 in their first-round series against the Jazz, and down by as many as 25 points as late as the middle of the third quarter tonight, this elimination game felt pretty damn close to a foregone conclusion. Until it felt like something else—a ridiculous comeback, courtesy of Russell Westbrook and Paul George, that ended in a 107-99 Thunder victory.

After scoring 12 points in a miserable second quarter, Oklahoma City went off in the third and broke down Utah’s defense. They put up 37 points on 58 percent shooting from the field, compared to 22 on 32 percent for the Jazz. And most of that Thunder scoring—20 of those 37 points—came from Westbrook, part of what would be a characteristically bonkers night for him.

Westbrook played the entire second half, scoring 33 of his 45 points there. George lit up similarly, with 21 second-half points as part of a 34-point total.

Pretty nice turnaround from where they were in Game 4.