71 points + 15 assists + 10 rebounds + 8 steals + 4 3-pointers + 2 blocks – (only) 3 turnovers = Game 4 victory behind Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant’s crazy stats.
Of those numbers, the too-often-criticized Westbrook was responsible for 40/10/5/5/2/1 of them. The 40 points was good for second most in his playoffs career and he became the first player since Allen Iverson in 2003 to rack up 30+ points, 10+ assists and 5+ steals in a playoff game.
“Coach told us he needed maximum effort from us tonight, and it starts with me at point guard,” Westbrook said. “My job is to play both sides of the ball. If you want to win a championship, those are things you have to do.”
Durant, who scored 22 of his 31 in the first half and helped Westbrook score 39 of the team’s 59 first half points, was full of praise for his teammate after the game.
“Just his focus on every possession on the defensive end and his poise on the offensive end, I think that’s what’s fun to watch,” Durant said. “People outside of our team don’t really look at that type of stuff, but that’s something we can definitely build on as a group, is watching him wreak havoc on the defensive end and offensively, playing with such patience.”