When Russell Westbrook is playing at a high level, the Thunder generally have a good chance to win consistently. Part of that success includes getting his teammates involved, too.
Westbrook continued his recent offensive resurgence on Wednesday night in a 108-96 win over the Brooklyn Nets with 31 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists. He shot 12-of-23 from the field, including 4-of-8 from 3-point range.
The Thunder point guard played a crucial role in leading a second-half comeback. Westbrook recorded seven points and dished out five assists in the fourth quarter to help spark a 14-0 run to push the lead to 16 points. At one point, he assisted the Thunder on three straight possessions.
Paul George wasn’t surprised by the performance.
That’s just what Russ does. Russ is a playmaker. Russ creates opportunities. He just makes the game easier for everybody else around him. I think that’s just Russ being in his element.
Westbrook said after the game that the energy of the team starts with him and he didn’t think he did that in the first half. With OKC facing a 10-point halftime deficit, he came out in the second half to help set the tone and that proved to be the key in winning on Wednesday.
Since struggling a bit after the All-Star break, the Thunder look to be turning things around after winning three out of their last four games with the Indiana Pacers looming on Thursday.
Of course, Westbrook has been a huge reason why the team has played better.
