Running Out Of Time: Westbrook Shines, Thunder Falls

Oklahoma City has had everything go wrong this season. But even at the season's most critical juncture, the Thunder managed to uncover even more ways to experience hardship and disappointment.

In a battle with serious playoff implications for both teams, it was the Pacers who helped their cause with a 116-104 win over the Thunder.

Thanks to a Houston win over the Pelicans, the Thunder didn't lose any ground on Sunday, but OKC didn't gain any either. The Thunder still needs a one-game difference to break the tie with New Orleans.

It was a wild night, one that had an incredible individual performance from Russell Westbrook and an equally devastating decision that may have cost the Thunder any chance at the playoffs with two games left to play.

Westbrook tied the OKC franchise record with 54 points on 21-of-43 shooting. He had 22 points in the first quarter alone and 20 more in the fourth quarter. No one else on the Thunder squad scored 20 points in the game.

It was clear from the beginning Westbrook was going to do whatever he could to make sure the Thunder got the win they needed. In the first quarter, he had a hand in 30 of the Thunder's 32 points and finished the game with eight assists to soften the shock of seeing 43 shots on his line.

But halfway through the fourth quarter, Westbrook picked up a technical foul, his 16th of the season. With it comes a one-game suspension, meaning he will miss Monday night's game against Portland. On paper, that was the most difficult of the Thunder's last four games, but without Westbrook, the task of beating the Blazers becomes enormous.

Thunder coach Scott Brooks said after the game he's fairly certain the technical foul would be rescinded, but that's no sure thing. The Thunder and the league will be in contact, with a decision coming plenty of time before tip time.

While Westbrook's technical came in the midst of a 12-0 Pacers run that turned an 88-all game into a 100-88 Indiana lead, his hotheadedness (and taking 43 shots for that matter) didn't lose the game for OKC. You don't have to look much farther than the lack of support from the rest of the OKC roster and an 11-of-28 performance from the free-throw line.

A 12-point final margin would make the free throws seem insignificant, but Oklahoma City was down just five points with 1:04 remaining and was 10-of-26 from the charity stripe at that point. Even switching half of those misses to makes would put the Thunder in front while still holding a large number of misses at the free throw line.

The lack of support from the Thunder was a bit unusual. Granted, Westbrook seemed to have a bit of tunnel vision, so intense was his desire to carry the Thunder to a much-needed win. But that still doesn't excuse the fact the rest of the team went 20-of-52 from the field and had 13 of the 17 misses from the free throw line. Steven Adams and Dion Waiters (16 points on 7-of-16 shooting) went a combined 0-of-10 from the line.

Enes Kanter had 13 points but was just 5-of-11 with five rebounds. The bench scored 14 points combined with no player taking more than five shots. Perhaps a few more made shots from the supporting cast leads to a win, or more makes at the free throw line.

Regardless of what could have happened, the Thunder finds themselves still locked in a battle with New Orleans with two games to play, possibly one of those without Westbrook. The possibility of making the postseason is shrinking by the day and more and more, it looks like it would be best for the Thunder to miss the playoffs, rest and possibly earn a high draft pick.

But if Sunday night showed us anything, it's that Westbrook will not go down quietly, even if that approach costs his team going forward.