OKC comeback keeps playoff series alive
The Oklahoma City Thunder remain alive in the first round of NBA playoffs, after a comeback win in game five of their series against the Utah Jazz.
They won 107-99 yesterday at their Chesapeake Energy Arena home, but are still down 3-2 overall in the best-of-seven series, with the next game in their western conference matchup set for tomorrow.
Trailing 71-46 just over three minutes into the third quarter, they went on a 61-28 run to get the win - the biggest comeback in franchise history.
Guard Russell Westbrook led the way for the Thunder with a 45-point, 15-rebound, seven-assist performance. He played every minute of the third and fourth quarters.
Forward Paul George was a decent supporting act, scoring 34 points while also claiming eight rebounds, playing 45 of a possible 48 minutes.
Kiwi centre Steven Adams had six points and six rebounds in 41 minutes of action.
The fourth-seed Thunder trailed by 15 at the halftime break, and were on the brink of an early exit from the playoffs, especially as the five-seed Jazz extended their lead to 25, three minutes into the third quarter.
Westbrook and George then combined to score all of the Thunder’s points as they went on a 32-7 run, levelling the game at 78-78 as the final quarter began. Westbrook had 20, including four threepointers, while George had 11.
Their double act continued into the final period, where Westbrook had 13 and George nine, with the rest of the Thunder combining to add just seven points in the final 20 minutes of play - all of them in the fourth quarter.
Rookie Donovan Mitchell led the way with 23 points for the Jazz, who looked set to advance to the second round, but will now have to bounce back in their home arena, as they look to close the series out.
If needed, a series-deciding game seven will be a Thunder home game.
The winner of the series will face the first-seed Houston Rockets in the semifinals, after they completed a 4-1 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in one of the four other games yesterday, winning 122-104.
In the other western conference second round matchup, the defending champion Golden State Warriors are up against the New Orleans Pelicans.
In the eastern conference, a LeBron James block-buzzer beater one-two helped the Cleveland Cavaliers take a 3-2 series lead over the Indiana Pacers, 98-95, and the Toronto Raptors beat the Washington Wizards, and are also now up 3-2.
There is only one match today, where the Boston Celtics will be looking to close out their series with the Milwaukee Bucks, where they lead 3-2.