Oklahoma City Thunder entered the second half of the Game 5 against the Utah Jazz 15 points behind, and it looked like their playoff hope will be crushed before the eyes of their own fans. OKC Thunder trailed 1-3 in the series and was facing elimination. Then, the third quarter started, and Jazz drained 10 more quick points, getting the lead up to 25 points.
Thunder coach Billy Donovan called for a time-out with less than nine minutes left in the third quarter, but it looked like there isn’t much he could do. Still, there was one man who could.
Russell Westbrook decided to take over the game (as he often does), and finally show why he is one of the best basketball players in the world. He drilled back-to-back three-pointers and then started to wreak havoc with layups, and mid-range shots. Paul George followed his example and by the beginning of the fourth quarter, the game was tied. Just like that.
OKC Thunder gained momentum while Jazz crumbled under pressure, unable to close out the game they thought it has been already won. The Thunder ended up with a hard-fought 107-99 win, managing to avoid early elimination. It is important to notice that Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors had foul troubles the entire second half, which played an important part in OKC Thunder’s comeback.
Russell Westbrook ended the game with 45 points, 15 rebounds, and 7 assists. He also ended up playing the entire second half, without taking his usual rest.
“It was one of those nights where obviously our bench, our crowd, everyone here in Oklahoma was behind us,” – said Westbrook after the game. “We needed every bit of it tonight and our guys stepped up.“
Paul George embraced his “Playoff P” persona and delivered 34 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. He also spent the entire second half in the game.
“We never quit,” – said George. “I can’t pinpoint one thing we did wrong. I think we never got down on ourselves. Regardless of the lead they built and the shots they were making, we felt we could surge back, and we did.“
Game 6 of the series is scheduled for Friday night in Salt Lake City.
