Thunder Escapes Heat on Big Fourth Quarter from Russell Westbrook
The Thunder escaped with a win on Friday night in Oklahoma City, using a 41-point fourth quarter to beat the Miami Heat by a final score of 105-99. Russell Westbrook led the way for OKC with 29 points, 13 rebounds, and 8 assists.
The Thunder trailed by two after the third quarter but used a steady diet of Westbrook to push the team to victory. The reigning MVP shot 6-of-7 for 17 points in the final 12 minutes, combining with Steven Adams and Raymond Felton to provide the spark needed to drive OKC’s effort late. Adams would finish with 24 points and 12 rebounds. Felton contributed 10 points in 14 minutes off the bench.
Full Highlights:
The win pushes the Thunder record to 44-30 on the season ahead of Sunday’s game against Portland. Now for some notes on the win against the Heat.
Numbers
| TEAM | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MIA | 18 | 22 | 26 | 33 | 99 |
| OKC | 24 | 20 | 20 | 41 | 105 |
42.9: The Thunder shot 42.9 percent from the floor. Miami shot 39.1.
30.8: OKC hit just 30.8 percent from downtown, going 8-of-26.
75.8: The Thunder went 25-of-33 from the free throw line, good for 75.8 percent. Not great but it was an improvement.
+10: OKC won 51-41 on the glass, including 12-8 on the offensive boards.
12 & 11: 12 turnovers for the Heat. 11 for OKC. Pretty clean game, all things considered.
+7: OKC won 18-11 in fast break points.
+12: The Thunder won 46-36 in the paint.
8 & 7: There were eight lead changes and seven ties.
Russell Westbrook
Very nice night from Westbrook, who used a 17-point fourth quarter to shake off what was an otherwise unremarkable start. His final stat line:
29 points, 13 rebounds, 8 assists, 9/15 FG, 2/2 3P, 9/10 FT, -3
Westbrook’s highlights:
Steven Adams
In a classic reversal, Steven Adams actually got stronger as the progressed. He shot 3-of-5 for 11 points in first half, then came back with a 6-of-8 shooting effort in the second half.
His final stat line:
24 points, 12 rebounds, 9/13 FG, +4
Adams’ highlights:
Notes
Paul George. Not a great night offensively for PG13. He scored 12 points on 3-of-16 shooting, including 0-of-6 from downtown. He did get a steal late that helped seal it.
Melo & Corey. Melo shot 2-of-8 from the floor, wrapping up with 6 points. Corey Brewer finished with 4 points on 1-of-5 shooting.
The Other Guys. Four Heat players scored in double-figures: James Johnson (23), Goran Dragic (20), Justice Winslow (14), and Wayne Ellington (14).
