Three years ago today, the Houston Rockets survived an onslaught from future teammate Russell Westbrook in a Game 2 victory in the first round of the 2017 NBA playoffs over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Westbrook, who went on to win the league’s 2016-17 MVP award, tallied 51 points, 13 assists, 10 rebounds, and four steals — representing the only 50-point triple double in playoff history.
Nonetheless, the Thunder were outscored by seven points in the final quarter as the Rockets won, 115-111 (box score), to take a 2-0 series lead. James Harden led Houston with 35 points and eight assists, while reserves Eric Gordon and Lou Williams scored 22 and 21, respectively.
In hindsight, the game might be most remembered for the postgame press conference at Toyota Center in Houston. Here’s how an exchange went between Westbrook and a reporter, just after the game went final:
Reporter: When you look at your line on the box score, how would you grade the line?
Westbrook: I don’t give a [censored] about the line. We lost.
The Rockets went on to win the first-round series, four games to one. And just over two years later, Westbrook’s competitive fire and desire to win helped lead him to Houston and a revived partnership with Harden.
