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Russell Westbrook came through in the clutch again to finish off the Jazz

Russell Westbrook wants your attention. (AP)
Russell Westbrook wants your attention. (AP)

Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Russell Westbrook is never one to shy away from a big moment, but he doesn’t exactly have the best track record on game-winning shot attempts. When the Thunder need a big shot to tie or win late, Westbrook can often be seen rushing pull-up jumpers or charging towards the basket in an out-of-control attempt to draw a foul or dunk on seven opponents at once. It’s endearing, in its own way, but not exactly emblematic of what most consider prime late-game execution.

By the numbers, though, Westbrook is pretty effective in clutch moments, and that statistical reality matched up with the end-of-game highlights in Monday’s contest at the Utah Jazz.

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With 12 seconds remaining in regulation, Westbrook hit two free throws following a Steven Adams offensive rebound to increase the OKC lead to 95-92. That advantage proved short-lived, though, because Jazz star Gordon Hayward coolly made a 3-pointer to tie it up.

That left Westbrook with 10 seconds to avoid overtime. He took his time, let Adams set a screen near halfcourt to free him up, and made a pull-up jumper to win it:


Alec Burks missed a tough 3 at the buzzer after a Jazz timeout, and the Thunder left town with a 97-95 win.

Westbrook’s winner followed logically from his performance over the final few minutes. The Jazz opted to protect the rim and force the Thunder leader into jumpers, a sane plan given Westbrook’s tendencies. He excelled instead, scoring 13 points over the final 3:05 to finish with 38 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, and four steals in 36 minutes. It was his 22nd triple-double of the season and the 59th of his career, bringing him into a tie with Larry Bird for fifth on the all-time list.


Westbrook’s 11-of-29 shooting and six turnovers weren’t terrific, but the sheer volume of his scoring (including a 13-of-17 showing from the free-throw line) and playmaking meant a lot in such a low-scoring game. This contest was largely played with Utah’s preferred style — a 19-11 third quarter went in the hosts’ favor — and neither team shot well from beyond the arc. Only seven players scored in double figures, and Westbrook put up 20 points more than second-place finisher Victor Oladipo. He won the game for his team.

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It’s a role he plays fairly often. As noted by Ben Golliver of Sports Illustrated, Westbrook is near the top of many categories when it comes to clutch performance:

Many of these stats depend on getting a lot of clutch minutes to begin with, which ultimately says more about the Thunder than it does Westbrook. Nevertheless, his clutch plus-minus and raw totals point to a player who takes on great responsibility and ultimately succeeds more than he fails. Here’s hoping that Westbrook gets a few more game-winners so that fans’ impressions catch up with reality.

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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at efreeman_ysports@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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