In the highest pressure moment an NBA team can face, there was serenity and trust extending from the floor to the bench. Kevin Durant got control of the ball after a Dion Waiters defensive rebound with just nine seconds to go, and the game tied at 114.
Thunder Head Coach Billy Donovan stood on the sideline and with just a look at Durant he knew to let his superstar go to work.
“Billy trusts us and we definitely trust in him,” point guard Russell Westbrook said. “He read off of Kevin and we had numbers. It was a great call.”
“Without having a set up or giving them any time to think about the play, it caught them off guard and off balance a little bit,” Durant said.
Durant pushed the ball up the left side of the floor and swept a left-to-right crossover that sent his defender spilling away. As he rose and fired from behind the arc, the crowd at Chesapeake Energy Arena knew the inevitable swish was coming. The ball splashed through the net, and it was 117-114 Thunder with 0.5 seconds left, not nearly enough time for the Orlando Magic to change the final outcome.
“That left to right cross, I’ve been working on that since I was six years old,” Durant said. “I felt confident in the shot when I let it go.”
The handful of possessions prior to Durant’s buzzer-beating game-winner were equally as important to the Thunder’s chances of victory. Russell Westbrook saved a defensive rebound in-bounds with 38 seconds left, then out of a timeout, managed to get a two-for-one for the Thunder. Durant set a dummy screen out top, Westbrook hit the jets and coasted to the rim for an easy layup with 29 seconds to go.
“We did a great job of executing and did a great job of listening to the coach during the timeout,” Westbrook explained. “It was a good play call and I tried to find a way to get to the basket to get us an easy one.”
“We tried to spread the floor and create some different options to attack the paint,” Donovan said. “Russell made a great read and was able to get downhill and get in front of the basket.”
Seconds later, Serge Ibaka was on an island. Singled out up top on the Magic’s point guard Victor Oladipo, Ibaka had to use every ounce of his size, length and athleticism to stop the talented, attacking playmaker from getting to the basket. As Oladipo drove left, Ibaka kept pace with him, stretched out his arm and swatted the layup attempt for his sixth block of the night, proving yet again his prowess as a five-position defender.
“Serge did a great job all game of protecting the basket,” Westbrook said. “When he plays that way, it’s tough to beat us.”
“He was great,” Durant said of Ibaka. “He set him up for that block. It was a huge play.”
With the game on the line, Donovan put his faith in the Thunder’s dynamic two-way players, and they delivered. It was an emphatic way to close out a game that could have easily gone the other way, and showed that the diverse skill sets on this Thunder team have been meshed together by Donovan in a way that highlights each players’ strengths.
It wasn’t a pretty game for the Thunder on defense, as the Magic shot 49.5 percent from the floor and knocked down 10 three-pointers, but Donovan’s group seemed to always come up with an answer. Thunder players tracked down loose balls, fought tooth and nail to earn a 50-39 rebounding advantage and shared the ball with precision, racking up 25 assists as seven different players scored at least seven points.
“There were a lot of positive things, hustle play-wise that our guys made in the game,” Donovan said.- – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Westbrook’s Record Book Effort
The energy Westbrook constantly plays with is constantly generating a buzz on the court. Even when he’s not involved directly in the play, you can see him lurking, awaiting his opportunity to impact the game. With his size, length, speed and tenacity, those quiet moments don’t last long for Westbrook, and tonight’s contest was evidence of that undeniable fact.
“The thing that stands out to me more than anything else is his will on 50-50 plays. There are some times where there is no scouting report,” Donovan said of Westbrook. “It’s his quickness, his drive, his perseverance and his toughness… He’s always engaged in the game. He has an incredible fire to him and an incredible competitiveness to him.”
The Thunder point guard was everywhere on the floor, dominated in the orchestration of the offense, racking up 24 points on 10-for-18 shooting while handing out 14 assists and grabbing a career-high 19 rebounds. The last player to put up those exact numbers or higher was Larry Bird on Jan. 13, 1982, when he scored 28 points, grabbed 19 rebounds and handed out 15 assists.
“I just try to go out and find a way to help us win,” Westbrook said. “Tonight coach emphasized helping the guys on rebounding. They’re a team that does a good job offensive rebounding and I tried to eliminate that by helping our bigs out, getting the ball and getting out on the break.”
He recorded the triple double, his third in as many games and eighth of the season, in just 22 minutes of action. And oh by the way, even with the ball in his hands that much, Westbrook only had two turnovers on the night. It was the second fastest triple-double since 1983-84, just a few minutes more than Westbrook’s own mark of 20 minutes against the Philadelphia 76ers in 2014. It was Westbrook’s 27th career triple-double and 19th over the past two seasons combined.
“He’s really efficient shooting the basketball,” Donovan said of his point guard. “He’s been balanced taking those midrange jump shots. He’s done a great job of balancing himself, everybody else, awareness of what’s going on, who hasn’t had a touch, creating opportunities, reading the way the defense is guarding our team and him.”- – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
By the Numbers
6 – Blocked shots for Serge Ibaka on the night, to go with nine points and seven rebounds
22 – Minutes it took Russell Westbrook to get a triple-double, his third straight and eighth of the season, 27th in his career, with a 24-point, 19-rebound, 14-assist effort
37 – Points for Kevin Durant on the night, including 22 after halftime, on 6-for-12 three-point shooting to go with five rebounds, five assists, three blocks and two steals- – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
The Last Word
“(Adversity) is a part of life. It’s a part of basketball. There are going to be bumps in the road. How you respond is what makes you tough.” – forward Kevin Durant
