Westbrook answers call
Russell Westbrook vowed to respond to the challenge of the 0-2 NBA playoff hole his Oklahoma City Thunder found themselves in against the Portland Trail Blazers, and obliged with a standout performance in a vital 120-108 game-three home victory.
Westbrook finished with 33 points, 11 assists and five rebounds at Chesapeake Energy Arena yesterday as the Thunder outshot and outlasted the Blazers to cut their Western Conference first-round series deficit to 2-1.
Paul George added 22 points, Jerami Grant had 18, Dennis Schroder 17 and New Zealand’s Steven Adams 10 points and seven rebounds for the Thunder who will also host game four tomorrow.
Damian Lillard scored 32 points for Portland, but he had just three in the fourth quarter after pouring in 25 in the third. CJ McCollum had 21 and Enes Kanter added 19.
Oklahoma City closed the second quarter on a 10-1 run to take a 49-39 lead. Lillard was held to four points on two-of-six shooting and the Trail Blazers shot 37.5 per cent in the half.
George hit a three-pointer, was fouled and made the free throw in the opening minutes of the second half to push Oklahoma City’s lead to 55-43.
Westbrook backed down Lillard, hit a bank shot and was fouled. Westbrook brought out his ‘‘rock the baby’’ celebration, then made the free throw to put Oklahoma City up by 15.
Lillard scored 23 points the rest of the quarter to help cut Oklahoma City’s lead to 86-82 at the end of the period. McCollum hit a three-pointer to tie it at 89-89 early in the fourth. Oklahoma City then regained control, with Westbrook’s jumper with just over two minutes remaining putting the Thunder up 10.
Adams made five of his six shots and had five of his seven boards off the offensive glass as he played a relatively minor offensive role for the Thunder. But the big Kiwi was a key part of an improved defensive effort from OKC as they squeezed the dangerous Lillard out of the contest in the final quarter.
Afterwards the Kiwi told reporters in OKC that the Thunder’s improved defensive effort had been down to his team’s smaller players.
‘‘The guards did a really good job today of just getting into them and influencing them one way. That makes the big’s job way easier. That was the difference from game one and two to now,’’ he said. But Adams said the Thunder had to continue to ‘‘tweak’’ their defensive plans going forward in a series that was very much still in the balance.
‘‘Although they were missing shots, some of it was just that they missed a shot, as opposed to a good contest within the system.
‘‘This series is to four wins and there’s nothing that much to celebrate about just yet,’’ he added.
Meanwhile, in Indianapolis Jaylen Brown scored 23 points and Kyrie Irving added 19 to help the Boston Celtics beat the Indiana Pacers 104-96 for a 3-0 lead in the first-round series.
The Celtics can close out the Eastern Conference series tomorrow in Indianapolis.
In Orlando, Pascal Siakam had 30 points and 11 rebounds, Kawhi Leonard added 16 points and Toronto held off Orlando to take a 2-1 lead in their Eastern Conference series.
Game four is tomorrow in Orlando.
Lowry’s three-pointer with 7:48 left gave Toronto their biggest lead at 86-69.
The Magic came flying back, and Terrence Ross’ three-pointer with 41 seconds left got Orlando to 96-93.
Leonard was short with a jumper on the next possession – but the Magic couldn’t control the rebound, and were doomed shortly afterward.
Leonard made a pair of free throws with 12.9 seconds remaining to make it a two-possession game again.