If Russell Westbrook didn’t already have his MVP votes in line with those allowed to vote, he made another strong argument for his case with a scintillating performance on Wednesday night in Memphis. In a season which has had one virtuoso big boy performance heaped on top of another, Russell Westbrook once again put his team on his back and carried them to a 103-100 victory with a 45 point, 9 rebound, 10 assist, 5 steal night and a career high 8 made three pointers.
True, it doesn’t rank as an official trip dub which would have put Bad Little Dude at No. 42 and Oscar Robertson in his rear view mirror, but it was vintage Westbrook as I’m almost certain he yelled, ‘Motherfucker’, and then tapped the top of his head twice after his last made dagger three which in essence solidified the Thunder as the No. 6 seed for the playoffs.
It was a great game as OKC finally won the game even though Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph both turned in stellar performances which made Thunder purists remember how grand this OKC-Memphis series used to be before Golden State lured Durant to Oakland. The first half was a track meet with OKC doing what it does best in transition, but Memphis brought the game to a halt and it turned it into a grindfest. Even Nick Collison got into the fray and banged bodies with Zbo for old times sake. It was just a great basketball game.
As has been the case on multiple occasions this season, Westbrook didn’t really have a second offensive option on this night, but I don’t think the rest of the team was awful in that they competed hard, didn’t play like a group of pussies, and did some nice things in the overall scheme of things.
Victor Oladipo was pretty good with 15 points, but 22 points would have been better, just saying. Steven Adams banged bodies all night long and had 10 rebounds. Kanter was okay with 10 points, but he could have been better as well. Gibson made some nice plays, but still when he’s near the rim with the ball, he needs to finish like a hoss. But still, overall, I’d give these guys a B on the night.
The main take for me tonight was Doug McDermott as in he played 32 minutes because Alex Abrines is hurt ‘again’ and Jerami Grant was a coach’s DNP decision. Here’s what I have to say about this, Euro ball is much less physical than NBA ball, and not even close to what NBA play becomes as far as physicality once post season defensive grinding is present on every defensive possession. I think this is where Billy Donovan has to make a decision and go with Doug McDermott as his rotational player and use the oft hurt Abrines as his situational option. I’m not big on frilly players, OKC needs someone they can depend on filling this role.
Even though this wasn’t an official triple double, in essence it was and OKC is now 33-9 on nights when Russell Westbrook has been other worldly.
OKC improves to 45-33 with four games remaining and is virtually assured of playing James Harden and the Houston Rockets in the first round.
The Thunder get a night of rest then play the tanking last place Phoenix Suns on Friday night on the road. I would guess and hope a decent portion of Phoenix fans will be wearing blue and cheering the making of basketball history on Friday night as a Westbrook-Booker Dual in the Desert looms on the horizon.