For the first half of the fourth quarter, Russell Wesbrook was playing well. He went 2-for-3 from the field, hit a pair of free throws, and had one assist. His play helped the Thunder cut the Mavs’ lead from 12 points to eight, giving OKC a shot to win the game going down the stretch.
But starting at the six-minute mark, Westbrook was pretty dreadful. He went 1-for-5 from the field, 1-for-2 from the free throw line and turned the ball over twice. That’s just four points on those eight possessions.
Is it fair to focus solely on Westbrook? No, there’s enough blame to go around for the Thunder. OKC shot 36% from the field. Kevin Durant was 7-of-22 from the field and 0-for-8 from long range. In fact, if it wasn’t for Westbrook’s made three in the final moments, the Thunder would have set a record for most three pointers attempted without a make. (They finished 1-for-17 from long range.) Westbrook was the Thunder’s most effective player — he finished with 30 points and four assists, but he also had seven turnovers.
Dirk Nowitzki struggled for most of the game, but came on down the stretch. He had 10 points in the final 7:22 and dealt with the physical play of Nick Collison pretty well. These Mavs continue to show great resiliency.
