Russell Westbrook Propels Thunder To 95-91 Win Over Spurs For 3-2 Series Lead

Russell Westbrook logged 35 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 95-91 Game 5 road victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night. The Thunder now has a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference semifinals series.

Russell Westbrook Propels Thunder To 95-91 Win Over Spurs

This was the Thunder’s second win in San Antonio so far in the series. Game 6 is set for Thursday in Oklahoma City.

Westbrook sealed the victory with a three-point play with just 6.3 seconds left, scoring after the Spurs were unable to intentionally foul him and he went for a layup after being fouled. Kevin Durant added 23 points for Oklahoma City.

Kawhi Leonard led San Antonio with 26 points. The Spurs lost at home only once in the regular season, and have now dropped two straight games at the AT&T Center in the postseason.

Oklahoma City gained a 92-90 lead with 54 seconds remaining on a pair of free throws by Durant after Spurs guard Danny Green fell into his legs when he appeared to be tripped by Steven Adams on an attempted screen.

After a lackluster first half during which Westbrook committed six of the Thunder’s 13 turnovers in that half, he and the Thunder rallied in the second half– during which he only had two turnovers– especially in the fourth quarter.

Westbrook was 12 for 27 from the field in scoring, a personal series high. This was also the point guard’s fourth time in the series scoring 28 points or more. He also had four offensive rebounds and two steals in 39 minutes on Tuesday night.

Green chipped in 20 points for the Spurs, going 6 for 9 shooting on 3-pointers. LaMarcus Aldridge also added 20 points but shot just 6 for 21.

Tim Duncan’s dunk with 2:58 left in the first half were the Spurs power forward’s first points since a layup 31 seconds into the second half in Game 3.  He finished Game 5 with five points.

Tuesday’s game was also mired by an officiating controversy after a no-call in the final seconds of the game. As the Spurs trailed 92-91 with 9.3 seconds left, Leonard fouled Westbrook in the corner. However, a call never came.

“He fouled him,” said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said, who fumed at referee Jason Phillips in that pivotal moment. “It was pretty obvious he fouled him, but every call doesn’t get called. That’s the way the game is. I was more concerned about the play before that with Durant’s shot. But as I’ve said, sometimes you get a call. Sometimes you not. It happens to everybody. Tough game.”

Westbrook then stated: “I just play until I hear the whistle, throughout the whole game. My job is to play. The refs will call the game. My job is to play until I hear the whistle.”

This was not the first incidence of so-called “bad officiating” that caused uproar in this Western Conference series. In the Thunder’s Game 2 victory on May 2, Dion Waiters elbowed the Spurs’ Manu Ginobili to create “Elbow Room,” as the Oklahoman sports page headline read the next day, and no foul was called.

PHOTO: SAN ANTONIO,TX – MAY 10: Russell Westbrook #0 of the Oklahoma City Thunder scores over a fallen Patty Mills #24 of the San Antonio Spurs n game Five of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2016 NBA Playoffs at AT&T Center on May 10, 2016 in San Antonio, Texas.

Article by Pablo Mena