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Russ regrets gambling for go-ahead 3: 'I should've probably drove it'

Ezra Shaw / Getty Images Sport / Getty

As always, Russell Westbrook alone decided what was best for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

With the Thunder down two as the fourth quarter winded down, Westbrook stormed up the court for an ill-advised 25-foot leaning triple to win the game instead of using the 10 seconds at his disposal to get a better shot for the tie. The shot bricked badly and Oklahoma City lost.

Watch: Westbrook pulls up for win instead of tie, Clippers escape

After the game, a noticeably miffed Westbrook lamented his choice to go for the dagger in a very brief media session with reporters.

"Yeah, yeah," Westbrook told ESPN's Royce Young. "I should've probably drove it, but it's all right."

On one hand, it was definitely a poor decision on the part for Westbrook - one of the least-efficient volume 3-point shooters in NBA history - to settle for a bad shot.

On the other hand, Westbrook was the only reason the Thunder were in a position to tie the game in the first place. The Los Angeles Clippers are a league-best 8-1, and yet the Thunder still pushed them to the brink for the second time within a week. That's a credit to Westbrook, who had 29 points, 14 rebounds, and nine assists on the night.

Thunder coach Billy Donovan understands the trade-off with Westbrook, which is why he backed up his star player after the game.

"I trust Russell," Donovan said. "With a guy like Russell, and you don't have a timeout and you're not scripting something, I trust him. Because he's going to try and make a play to help us win."

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