Westbrook agitated after improved OKC lose again
Ouch. Steven Adams and the Oklahoma City Thunder did so much right in their pivotal game four against the Houston Rockets yesterday, yet find themselves in a 3-1 hole as the NBA first-round playoff series heads back to Texas.
Clearly it hurt with Westbrook, after another historic tripledouble, taking an unusual stand at the post-game press conference when he jumped in on a question directed at the Thunder’s fourthyear player from New Zealand, gave a stinging response to the reporter who asked it and then refused to let Adams answer the query.
The 23-year-old New Zealander produced easily his best showing of the series to front with 18 points, seven rebounds, three blocks and a pair of assists as he went eight-of10 from the floor and two of five from the free-throw line.
It was a timely offensive outburst from the 2.13m Kiwi who has been criticised for his lack of production through the first three games of this series.
But it was not enough as the Rockets produced a clutch fourth quarter (won 40-32), exposed the free-throw shooting deficiencies of Thunder stopper Andre Roberson and rode home 113-109 on the back of a ‘‘perfect’’ 28-point, 10-rebound game from backup centre Nene.
That puts the Rockets up 3-1 in the best-of-seven series with game five in Houston tomorrow. Adams and the Thunder have to win three straight to avoid a first-round exit.
Another historic night from Westbrook was also wasted by the Thunder as the OKC point guard became just the second player to post three straight playoff tripledoubles, and the first to do so with 30-plus points in each outing.
The great Wilt Chamberlain ran off four straight triple-doubles back in 1967.
Westbrook had his up by the half and finished with another mammoth line of 35 points, 14 rebounds, 14 assists, three steals and a block. Not that it mellowed his mood at all afterwards.
When a local columnist asked Adams, who was making his first playoff post-game podium appearance, why the Thunder struggled so much when Westbrook went to the bench, Westbrook pounced.
‘‘Hold on Steven,’’ Westbrook said. ‘‘I don’t want nobody to try to split us up. We all a team ... we in this together. Don’t try to split us up, don’t try to make us go against each other.
‘‘Don’t try to make it Russell and the rest of guys; Russell against Houston.
‘‘I don’t want to hear that. We in this together, we playing as a team and that’s all that matters.’’
The reporter tried several times to get Adams to answer, but Westbrook was steadfast. He kept repeating, ‘‘next question’’ until finally the reporter gave up.
To be fair, it was a legitimate question. The Thunder are struggling hugely without Westbrook on the floor against a deeper Houston side, and this loss highlighted that. OKC were plus-14 when Westbrook was on; minus-17 when he was being rested. They were plus-5 in Adams’ 37 minutes too.
The Thunder will be wondering just where they went wrong as they led the Rockets by as many as 14 points in the third quarter, and kept Houston superstar James Harden to a sub-par night with just 16 points on five-of-16 shooting.
He missed all seven of his threepoint attempts and added seven rebounds, eight assists and seven turnovers as Roberson continued his standout defence in this series.
But once again the Rockets’ depth was crucial. Nene was superb, the veteran Brazilian having his way with the Thunder around the hoop as he made all 12 of his shots from close range.