OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Ramon Sessions does the very best he could to help keep Russell Westbrook out of setting up a high-flying dunk that might energize the actual Oklahoma City Thunder.
No matter.
Even along with his feet washboard on that ground, Westbrook determined an easy method to get your Thunder in business previous the Los Angeles Lakers as well as into the Western Conference finals for the second instantly year.
After Sessions dedicated some sort of foul in order to stop your ex on the rapid break, Westbrook switched the particular ball up towards the rim and acquired this to help try it out for what exactly would develop into a new three-point play. Westbrook became popular toward your scorer's table, pumping his fist because the house crowd celebrated.
There appeared to be no switching back right after that, plus Oklahoma City torn in two away pertaining to a 106-90 wining within Game a few with Monday nighttime in order to topple your Lakers out from the playoffs.
''That was an incredible play,'' train Scott Brooks said. ''Obviously, you will find a great deal of luck to that. You put yourself because placement to acquire a small happy there.
''I thought out of which level on, most of us definitely used good vitality on the bothersome end, moved the golf ball and made shots.''
Westbrook finished along with twenty eight points, Kevin Durant put in 25 details and also 10 rebounds as well as a pair of All-Stars missed out their usual relaxation periods to help strength the actual Thunder ahead inside following half.
After Westbrook's match with three-point plays fueled some sort of 14-3 burst that put Oklahoma City ahead to remain seated later inside third quarter, Durant struck two 3-pointers for the reason that Thunder scored the primary 10 tips belonging to the last to help force their own lead to 93-77.
Los Angeles for no reason obtained more detailed as compared with 13 immediately after that.
''That's a difficult team, man. They were unable sitting down,'' Westbrook said. ''We obtained a little bit along on our-self and also we needed to bond and also be better teammates, in addition to most people would that.''
Kobe Bryant have scored 42 factors with the Lakers and took the particular briefest involving rest - under 2 minutes - within the following half. It didn't even have in which long for that game, and their particular season, in order to slip away.
Bryant was waiting to test in as soon as Durant joined on his second 3-pointer, simply just 89 seconds into the next quarter. But simply by plenty of time this individual obtained in, there is minor he or she could complete - despite your 13th 40-point game regarding his playoff career.
After getting eradicated by way of Los Angeles completely and also Dallas inside 2011 just before each of those teams proceeded for you to earn this all, the Thunder knocked each released upon their particular approach to the West finals for that second right year.
The just additional time frame the actual franchise made consecutive conference finals ended up being from 1978-80, like Seattle's merely NBA concept throughout 1979.
Once there, they'll deal with top-seeded San Antonio, that's riding an 18-game succeeding streak as well as being the merely team rather than the Lakers or perhaps Mavs in order to acquire the particular West inside the beyond 13 years. The line commences Sunday night inside San Antonio.
Los Angeles has followed back-to-back titles having two immediately second-round exits.
''I'm certainly not remover into the shadows,'' mentioned Bryant, a five-time NBA champion when using the Lakers. ''I'm definitely not proceeding anywhere. We're definitely not going anywhere.''
Certainly, not the following offseason.
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