Westbrook, Thunder can level series vs. Rockets

The Oklahoma City Thunder won Game 3 because of a triple-double by Russell Westbrook. The Thunder also won because Westbrook was not a one-man show.

And because Westbrook combined with his teammates, the Thunder are facing the prospect of squaring their first-round series with the Houston Rockets as opposed to getting swept away.

Westbrook and Oklahoma City gets its chance to even the series Sunday afternoon when it hosts the Rockets in Game 4.

Westbrook posted his seventh postseason triple-double Friday in a 115-113 win when he totaled 32 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists. The line was a stark contrast to Game 2, when Westbrook scored 51 points and seemed willing to do it all in the fourth quarter.

"We are one team," Westbrook said. "I don't have a cast. I don't have a guy. We are all in this together. My teammates have done a great job all season long. We will continue to trust in each other and our abilities to stay a team and stay as one."

It did not work in Game 2 when Westbrook misfired on 14 of 18 shots in the fourth quarter and Oklahoma City scored 22 points in the fourth.

This time, the drop-off from Westbrook to his teammates was not as significant. Westbrook made 11 of 24 shots and 23 of his attempts were inside the arc as he constantly attacked the rim.

His most notable help was provided by Taj Gibson, who scored 20 points on 10-of-13 shooting and also shadowed James Harden at times. Also supporting Westbrook were Andre Roberson and Victor Oladipo, who contributed 12 points apiece.

"I had to do a better job of trusting my teammates for 48 minutes," Westbrook said. "Today those guys made plays throughout the whole game and that's what I tried to do."

The triple-double was Westbrook's second in a row, making him the first player to record back-to-back triple-doubles in the same playoff series since Jason Kidd in the 2002 Eastern Conference finals for the New Jersey Nets against the Boston Celtics.

"I thought he was unbelievable," Thunder coach Billy Donovan said. "He got guys shots. He took advantage when they switched. He did a lot of different things. He played an exceptional game."

Westbrook is averaging a triple-double for the series with 35 points, 11.3 rebounds and 10.3 assists per game. The Thunder are 5-2 when Westbrook registers a playoff triple-double but the efficient triple-double and the inefficient triple-double are reflected in the differences in the results.

Still, despite more involvement from others, the Thunder nearly squandered a double-digit lead. They held three 10-point leads in the fourth and only a missed 3-pointer by Harden with 7.7 seconds left as Roberson defended prevented Oklahoma City from falling behind in the final seconds and possibly losing.

"I just dribbled down the court," Harden said. "I saw the paint get closed in once I passed half court. I gave a little jab. He bit (on) it. I just shot the ball. Shot it with confidence. It was a little bit short."

Harden provided another big game with 44 points on 11-of-21 shooting. He missed two 3-pointers in the final 15 seconds after keeping the Rockets in the game in the third quarter.

The Rockets, however, might not have been in the position of needing Harden's 3-pointers if they started better.

Houston was able to overcome a double-digit deficit in Game 2, falling into an early 16-4 hole. This time, the Rockets fell behind by nine after the first quarter and were facing an uphill climb most of the night.

"We've got to come out with some dog in us," Harden said. "Second half, we did a really good job on both ends of the floor. I think both (Games) 2 and 3 we spot them 10 points and it's tough."

Also making it tough for the Rockets is if their typical efficiency on 3-point shooting doesn't happen. So far, Houston is not shooting the ball great from distance by going 31.9 percent (31 of 97), including 10 of 35 on Friday.

Houston was 4-12 in the regular season when shooting less than 30 percent from long range, and the Thunder emphasized closing out on 3-point shooters. It was a ploy that worked in the second half when the Rockets were 4 of 21 from 3-point range.

So far in the series, the Rockets are getting mixed results from their 3-point shooters.

Harden is 10 of 30 from 3-point range but Ryan Anderson is 2-of-18 after shooting 40.8 percent on 3-pointers in the regular season. Eric Gordon is 6 of 16, Lou Williams is 6 of 11 and Trevor Ariza is 0 of 6.

Perimeter shooting aside, it also comes down to be ready from the outset.

The Rockets were able to get away with it at home but on the road despite making a charge in the fourth.

"We just didn't have the will or the want early in the game, and then we rectified that," Houston coach Mike D'Antoni said. "That's a little bit of a re-occurring theme is that it takes us a little while to get going. We'll address it, and try to get it better. We've got to play the whole 48 like we did the last 24. The last two games we have not done that."