The Oklahoma City Thunder got a huge win in game five, taking a monster performance from Russell Westbrook to get past the San Antonio Spurs 95-91. Following two straight wins, OKC now leads the series 3-2.
The game featured two very disjointed offenses struggling to score points. Neither team shot the ball well and both resorted to isolations for their best players to get things going.
For the Spurs, that meant a ton of Kawhi Leonard early on. The forward scored 17 points in the first half (and 26 overall) and as usual continued his incredible defense on the perimeter. Gregg Popovich threw in an extra wrinkle by occasionally having Kawhi guard Andre Roberson, allowing him to roam freely on defense and cause havoc all over the floor.
But Leonard did more than play his now-expected level of defense. The forward, just named the runner-up to the MVP award, was the sole Spurs player continuously playing well on offense. Leonard accepted a higher volume of burden by taking 21 shots, while still shooting an efficient 12-21 and setting up teammates with four assists.
The Spurs also received a huge contribution from Danny Green whose hot shooting on the perimeter, and especially in transition, was huge for a team with many struggling players. Green finished with 20 points, hitting six of eight shots from beyond the arc. The play from the two starting wings allowed San Antonio to take a double digit lead.
The Thunder matched the Spurs along the way with the play of their own two stars. Despite inefficient shooting, both Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook made their marks on the game. Westbrook, especially, was huge as he led the team with 35 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists.
The Thunder also received major contributions from two of their big-men with Steven Adams and Enes Kanter both providing big minutes down the stretch. This was especially huge with Serge Ibaka continuing to struggle and allowed OKC to get back into the game late in the third quarter.
The game went down to the wire once again, but this time it was the Thunder executing down the stretch. Oklahoma City was able to get big plays and stops. Meanwhile, San Antonio was unable to get the ball to its best player in the most important possession of the game.
Of course, this wouldn’t be a close game in the 2016 playoffs without some controversy. With fewer than ten seconds left in the game, the officials missed Leonard attempting to intentionally foul Westbrook. Westbrook then drove to the rim to get an and-one layup where he seemingly was not fouled.
That play put the Thunder lead at 4 and effectively ended the game. The Spurs were unable to generate a good look on the ensuing possession and the game was then over.
With the huge performance from Russell Westbrook, the Thunder became the first team in the series to win two games in a row and will now have a chance to surprisingly close out the Spurs in game six at home.
Game six will be played on Thursday at 8:30 PM EST on ESPN.
