"Going Through The Motions" Westbrook Takes Blame For Embarrassing Loss
By Randy Renner, Senior Writer
When Russell Westbrook handed out his sixth assist of the night early in the 3rd quarter of Friday’s 120-99 loss to the Phoenix Suns he wrote his name once again in the record books alongside Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson.
No matter what happens in the last three games of the regular season Westbrook will end the season averaging a triple double. He and Robertson, who accomplished the feat in the 1961-62 season are the only players who can claim that amazing stat.
But for Westbrook, who went straight to the Suns practice floor inside Talking Stick Resort Arena after the final horn, his historic numbers aren’t the most important thing.
Winning is.
And on that score Westbrook and the Thunder fell woefully short Friday night against the now 23-57 Suns, sitting in last place in the Western Conference.
The Thunder trailed by as many as 28 and for most of the game weren't even competitive.
“We didn’t come out with a sense of urgency and that started with myself, just going through the motions,” Westbrook told reporters after he’d returned to the OKC locker room.
“I wasn’t myself. I have to come out and be ready. I set a standard for myself that’s really high, sometimes it’s good for me and sometimes it’s bad for me. I can live with that. I want to be sure I live up to my standard and hold up my end of the bargain for my team.”
Hard to say Westbrook isn’t holding up his end of the bargain when he’s leading the NBA in scoring and just accomplished something no one has been able to do in the last 55 years.
But this Thunder team depends on its superstar for so much there is simply no room for error, no room for an off night.
After a blowout win over Milwaukee at home on Tuesday and a thrilling come from behind win in Memphis on Wednesday the Thunder couldn’t do much of anything right in Phoenix.
Maybe they’d been reading too many of those “Suns are tanking” stories and figured they wouldn’t get much resistance from a team that had lost 13 straight games.
Turns out it looked just the opposite Friday night. The Suns were energized from the start and the Thunder appeared as though they couldn’t care less, much like Russ said “just going through the motions.”
“Two things were a problem in the first half,” head coach Billy Donovan told reporters. “One was the points in the deep paint and then about 40 percent of their missed shots they got back. They did a really good job of attacking the paint and the teeth of our defense and when we did get some stops we had a difficult time rebounding the ball.”
The Suns shot 61.4 percent in the first half and OKC managed to hit just 39.1 percent. For the entire game the Thunder managed just 36.6 percent shooting and the Suns finished at 51.8 percent.
Westbrook missed his first 11 shots and ended the game 6-for-25 overall and 2-for-12 on threes.
He finished with 23 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists, falling just shy of his 42nd triple double of the season, which would break the record for a single season he and Robertson now share.
“I definitely appreciate it and don’t take it for granted,” Westbrook said of the triple doubles. “But my goal since I got here and especially this season is to win a championship. As the leader of the team I have to make sure we’re moving in the right direction.”
Lately and really all season, the Thunder have been moving back and forth, up and down.
Put together a couple or three really good games and then toss in dud or two.
The Thunder are 2-3 over their last five games, 5-5 over their last 10 games and 11-9 over their last 20.
Back and forth, up and down.
That inconsistency can most likely be blamed on what is currently the NBA’s second-youngest roster by playing time. Three rookies play in the rotation. Trade deadline deals brought in new players who had to learn their teammates and the Thunder way.
And there have been key injuries off an on through the season. Victor Oladipo and Enes Kanter have each missed significant time. Alex Abrines and Andre Roberson are out now.
Roberson is the team’s best perimeter defender, without him on the floor the overall team defense takes a major hit.
His sore left knee isn’t being considered a major deal right now but if he can’t play at 100 percent in the playoffs the Thunder will be hard pressed to win a game or two against the Houston Rockets, their likely first round opponent, much less the series.
But for now Westbrook and his teammates know they need to at least show up ready to play these last three games.
Going through the motions won’t cut it.