Russell Westbrook knocks down game-winner vs. Jazz (Video)
The Russell Westbrook Show continued in Utah Monday night, with Russ’ game-winning jumper lifting the Oklahoma City Thunder over the Jazz.
Somehow, this man is not a starter for the 2017 NBA All-Star Game.
You probably know his name by now. For years he was criticized for his poor shot selection, his defensive consistency, his turnovers, and for holding Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder back.
One Kevin Durant departure later and people can’t get enough of MVP candidate Russell Westbrook — not only because the man is on pace to join Oscar Robertson as the only players in NBA history to average a triple-double for an entire season, but also because of these grand concepts like “loyalty” and “competitive fire” that people keep brandying about.
In any case, Monday night marked just another night for the Thunder superstar, which is to say another night of pedal-to-the-metal, all-out play.
With the score knotted at 95-95 against the Utah Jazz, Westbrook had no time to worry about Gordon Hayward’s three-pointer that had just tied the game up. He did have 10 seconds to worry about, which was more than enough to work with as he took and made a pull-up jumper with 1.4 seconds left.
Thunder's Russell Westbrook hits game-winning jumper to beat Jazz in Utah (all angles) pic.twitter.com/qmQ04DClOr
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) January 24, 2017
The bucket proved to be the game-winner for the Thunder, who went on to win 97-95 after Alec Burks’ three-point attempt at the buzzer wouldn’t fall.
Westbrook finished with a game-high 38 points and notched his 22nd triple-double of the season with 10 rebounds, 10 assists and four steals. Though he only shot 11-for-29 from the field, he also made 13 of his 17 free throws.
The win improved OKC to 26-19 on the season, but more importantly, it served as a reminder that it’s somewhat ridiculous he won’t be starting in this year’s All-Star Game.
The competition was obviously stiff with two-time reigning MVP Stephen Curry and MVP frontrunner James Harden earning the backcourt spots, but come on. The man is averaging a triple-double and is the very definition of “All-Star,” especially as a two-time MVP of the event!
With late-game heroics and consistent triple-double efforts like this, every passing game serves as a reminder that the fans messed this one up big time.