Many NBA fans felt sorry for Russell Westbrook Tuesday night. The camera focused on the hardworking guard in the fourth quarter while he watched his teammate Andre Robertson gather himself at the free throw line.
You could see each of the forty-two minutes he played on his face. Westbrook shot 15-34 from the floor which led to a total of 47 points for the night. After Russell was given his fourth foul of the evening while defending Patrick Beverly, the two exchanged words, Russell's face was unchanged. It was determined to do whatever it took to win.
In a spectacular effort, his team came up short.
Russell Westbrook gives his best
Russell Westbrook walked onto the floor Tuesday night and was willing to ask for additional help from his teammates. He was .017 percent away from his series best field goal percentage of .458. That was after he had his second lowest percentage performance of the series in game 4 of .357. Westbrook still managed to lead his team in assist and rebounds despite the pressure of being against elimination.
The second highest scorer on the muted Thunder came off the bench. Jerami Grant shot 4-8 from the field and brought in 11 points. Yes, eleven points. Imagine yourself going to the store with six of your friends. If you contribute more than half of the funds and your six friends cannot create a sum to match, is it your fault if you are all sent home?
Lift off or counting down
The Rockets deserve some credit. James Harden has continued to show the world that he is an elite NBA player. He scored 34 points and sent his former team home in one game short of a sweep.
The consistent play of one of the league's best six men Lou Williams has complimented Harden's ability to score.
Patrick Beverly played like he got the message as well. He did what he needed to do when it mattered. Beverly scored 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds.
The Rockets seem to be feeling good about the win, but what does the future hold for the Houston team? The San Antonio Spurs or Memphis Grizzlies will be knocking on the door soon, and some believe that James Harden will not be enough to keep it closed.
Seeded at number two, the San Antonio Spurs are always a solid opponent in the playoffs, but they are currently struggling due to the tenacious play of the Memphis Grizzlies. Hopefully, the Rockets have enough fuel to soar past their next opponent.
