NBA Playoffs: Russell Westbrook Steals the Show as Thunder Roll over Lakers

Russell Westbrook scored 13 points in the third quarter of Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals on Saturday night—production that, along with his 37 points in the game, helped keep the Oklahoma City Thunder within striking distance before they went on to win 103-100 over the Los Angeles Lakers at the Staples Center.

On Monday night in Oklahoma City, Westbrook once more made the third quarter his own.

After posting just eight points—subpar by his standards—in the first half, Westbrook rode successive, eye-popping three-point plays on the way to 11 points in the third quarter. It was one of those high-difficulty jump shots that broke a 73-all tie with 2:40 remaining. The Thunder would never trail again.

Westbrook's 28 points were compounded by the play of teammates Kevin Durant and James Harden, who combined with the former UCLA star (2006-08) for 70 points on the night.

That dominance was reflected in categories other than the points column. The Thunder out-hustled, out-muscled and outplayed the Lakers on the way to a 106-90 victory that sealed their passage to the Western Conference finals by way of a 4-1 Conference semifinals aggregate.

Well, "outplayed" every Laker except Kobe Bryant. The star shooting guard was at his unstoppable best in the last game of his season, scoring 15 first-quarter points before ending with 42 on the night.

That was one of the few bright spots Lakers coach Mike Brown could look back on, however. The Thunder out-rebounded his team 51-35, including a 14-3 advantage on the offensive glass, and they had 20 assists to the Lakers' 12.

Ramon Sessions and Steve Blake, the two guards Brown had tasked with running the point, combined for just four assists to seven turnovers. Not the production needed for such a pivotal encounter.

Sessions in particular never looked zoned in on the defensive end, where he committed a couple of inexplicable fouls on Westbrook that allowed the Thunder guard a chance at those three-point plays.

"Four quarters, we stuck with it and we got it done," Harden told TNT's Craig Sager after the game.

Harden's stat line of 17 points, eight rebounds and four assists to just one turnover was one of the many talking points in a game the Thunder wrested from the Lakers before running off with it into the sunset.

Durant had a double-double with 25 points and 10 rebounds, but it was Westbrook who stole the show.

It had been the guard's outfit, perhaps even more than his stat line, that had made the biggest headlines after Game 4.

On Monday night, Westbrook left no doubt that it would be his sensational play on the court that would render viewers speechless.

Westbrook had picked up a technical foul early in the first quarter after kicking the ball away following a made layup. His exuberance looked as if it might undo him then, bubbling over past the danger zone.

But he channeled his considerable energy, focused it into production and unleashed it in exultation following his slew of incredible individual plays in the second half.

The rest of the Thunder followed suit, and earned the franchise's second trip to the conference finals since moving from Seattle before the 2008-09 season.

The San Antonio Spurs, and a possible trip to the NBA Finals, await them in the next round. The game schedule has not been announced yet.