Unsung Bull rises as Westbrook streak ends
Chicago — CHICAGO -- They came for Russell Westbrook and his remarkable numbers, and they left talking about E'Twaun Moore and his curious apostrophe.
Actually, people in the stands at United Center Thursday night and in
TNT's viewing audience probably talked about both, because there was
plenty to yap about.
Westbrook fell short in his bid to log a fifth consecutive triple-double but he still crammed the score sheet with 43 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, two steals and five turnovers. He shot 14-for-32, hitting 3 of 5 from beyond the arc, and made 12 of the 15 free throws.
But while Westbrook dominated the game, it was Moore who dictated the outcome. His timely 3-pointer from the left side -- set up when Chicago's Pau Gasol took an inbounds pass into the post with 4.9 seconds left, the Bulls down by one -- spoiled for Oklahoma City a night on which the Thunder led by as much as 16 points.
And instead of celebrating another dazzling performance by Westbrook, the final half-minute was defined by his mistakes.
Westbrook's 21-footer with 38 seconds left had put OKC up by three. It was 105-104 with 28.9 to play, Chicago relying on defense, when Westbrook dribbled down the clock and then, from out front, launched an air ball. The shot clock violation set up Moore's big moment, made possible when Westbrook doubled-down on Gasol in the post, leaving Moore unguarded. The Bulls' forward recognized it immediately and Westbrook was too late scrambling back to contest what became the game-winner.
Then came the final indignity: The Thunder still had 2.1 seconds left. But after Westbrook came over to take Dion Waiters' inbounds pass, and as the Bulls sent a pair of defenders to trap him, Westbrook stepped on the sideline near the scorer's table. That snuffed OKC's last hope.
Earlier in the evening, while shooting foul shots, Westbrook had heard
some "MVP" chants from a few isolated Thunder fans in the cavernous
arena. Afterward, neither that discussion nor his run of triple-doubles
mattered much to him. Westbrook said he should have passed to the open
man, Serge Ibaka, rather than force up his air ball. And he said he forced things again demanding the sideline pass from Waiters.
But then, Westbrook forces lots of things, most of the time, when he's on the court and the Thunder mostly has benefited from that. His intensity -- whether attacking a defense, barging into this season's MVP conversation or proving himself an equal partner to, rather than mere sidekick of, teammate Kevin Durant -- is what makes him so "Russell."
"When he's playing with force like that, attacking, it's tough [on opponents]," Thunder forward Nick Collison said. "He's big and strong and athletic, and when he's able to get his pull-up going, it's really hard. We're fortunate to have two guys like that. Not a lot of teams... nobody really does."
Durant was out again Wednesday, limited to just 27 appearances by toe,
foot and ankle issues. Westbrook, who always has itched to be a No. 1
option, hasn't just stepped into the void, he's made it vanish. In
February, the 6-foot-3 guard averaged 31.2 points, 9.3 rebounds and 10.1
assists. And in this recent stretch of five games -- with a fractured
facial bone mixed in -- Westbrook has been even better (38.2 points,
12.4 rebounds, 9.8 assists). The loss Wednesday was the first time in
seven games he didn't reach 10 assists.
He has people checking NBA history to find out the last time two teammates handed off the MVP award in successive seasons. (We'll save you some trouble: Boston's Bob Cousy and Bill Russell did it way back in 1957 and 1958.)
"He's an amazing player," OKC coach Scott Brooks said. "He's on a hot streak but our team is playing well. That's what he's about. He's not happy that he scored a bunch of points and had a bunch of rebounds and assists and we lost the game. He's about winning only."
D.J. Augustin has been a teammate of Westbrook only for three weeks, joining the Thunder from Detroit at the trade deadline. He already has an insider's appreciation.
"He just works hard, man," Augustin said. "He plays the same way every night, no matter who we play. We could be playing the best team in the West or the worst team in the East, he's going to come out and take every game serious and play hard. Every game, every minute.
"If he's out there playing that hard, we all have to come with the same effort."
Westbrook's 43 points gave him seven games of 40 or more this season and 18 of 30 or more. They also are the most scored against Chicago this season, topping Dallas guard Monta Ellis' 38. As well as Westbrook has been playing, someone wondered after Wednesday's game, it must feel to him like every shot he takes has a chance to go in. His response was pure Russell.
"Aww, I think that if I'm 0-for-15," he said, irrepressible as ever. "So that's regardless of what's going on."
Westbrook fell short in his bid to log a fifth consecutive triple-double but he still crammed the score sheet with 43 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, two steals and five turnovers. He shot 14-for-32, hitting 3 of 5 from beyond the arc, and made 12 of the 15 free throws.
But while Westbrook dominated the game, it was Moore who dictated the outcome. His timely 3-pointer from the left side -- set up when Chicago's Pau Gasol took an inbounds pass into the post with 4.9 seconds left, the Bulls down by one -- spoiled for Oklahoma City a night on which the Thunder led by as much as 16 points.
And instead of celebrating another dazzling performance by Westbrook, the final half-minute was defined by his mistakes.
Westbrook's 21-footer with 38 seconds left had put OKC up by three. It was 105-104 with 28.9 to play, Chicago relying on defense, when Westbrook dribbled down the clock and then, from out front, launched an air ball. The shot clock violation set up Moore's big moment, made possible when Westbrook doubled-down on Gasol in the post, leaving Moore unguarded. The Bulls' forward recognized it immediately and Westbrook was too late scrambling back to contest what became the game-winner.
Then came the final indignity: The Thunder still had 2.1 seconds left. But after Westbrook came over to take Dion Waiters' inbounds pass, and as the Bulls sent a pair of defenders to trap him, Westbrook stepped on the sideline near the scorer's table. That snuffed OKC's last hope.
Westbrook turns the ball over in Thunder's last gasp.
With 2.1 seconds left in regulation Dion Waiters passes to Russell Westbrook who steps out of bounds.
But then, Westbrook forces lots of things, most of the time, when he's on the court and the Thunder mostly has benefited from that. His intensity -- whether attacking a defense, barging into this season's MVP conversation or proving himself an equal partner to, rather than mere sidekick of, teammate Kevin Durant -- is what makes him so "Russell."
"When he's playing with force like that, attacking, it's tough [on opponents]," Thunder forward Nick Collison said. "He's big and strong and athletic, and when he's able to get his pull-up going, it's really hard. We're fortunate to have two guys like that. Not a lot of teams... nobody really does."
Westbrook explodes to the basket.
Russell Westbrook explodes to the basket for the layup plus the foul.
He has people checking NBA history to find out the last time two teammates handed off the MVP award in successive seasons. (We'll save you some trouble: Boston's Bob Cousy and Bill Russell did it way back in 1957 and 1958.)
"He's an amazing player," OKC coach Scott Brooks said. "He's on a hot streak but our team is playing well. That's what he's about. He's not happy that he scored a bunch of points and had a bunch of rebounds and assists and we lost the game. He's about winning only."
D.J. Augustin has been a teammate of Westbrook only for three weeks, joining the Thunder from Detroit at the trade deadline. He already has an insider's appreciation.
"He just works hard, man," Augustin said. "He plays the same way every night, no matter who we play. We could be playing the best team in the West or the worst team in the East, he's going to come out and take every game serious and play hard. Every game, every minute.
"If he's out there playing that hard, we all have to come with the same effort."
Westbrook's 43 points gave him seven games of 40 or more this season and 18 of 30 or more. They also are the most scored against Chicago this season, topping Dallas guard Monta Ellis' 38. As well as Westbrook has been playing, someone wondered after Wednesday's game, it must feel to him like every shot he takes has a chance to go in. His response was pure Russell.
"Aww, I think that if I'm 0-for-15," he said, irrepressible as ever. "So that's regardless of what's going on."
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