Thunder Take Game 3 vs. Rockets 115-113 Behind Russell Westbrook Triple-Double

The Oklahoma City Thunder survived another big fourth quarter by the Houston Rockets for a 115-113 victory in Game 3 of the 2017 Western Conference playoffs and cut their series deficit to 2-1 in the process.  

After James Harden tied the score at 111 with 52 seconds remaining, Steven Adams hit a go-ahead putback layup following Russell Westbrook's missed three-pointer. 

With a 114-111 lead, the Thunder fouled Harden with 8.8 seconds remaining to ensure he couldn't attempt a three. He made both free throws to cut Houston's deficit to one. 

Harden would get one final shot at playing the hero, but he missed a three-point attempt, which gave Oklahoma City the victory.

Following his disastrous fourth-quarter showing in Game 2, going 4-of-18 in the final 12 minutes, Westbrook seemed to take something from that.

The MVP candidate was more efficient with 32 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists, recording his second straight triple-double in the series. He helped the Thunder weather the storm after the Rockets took a 67-65 lead in the third quarter after trailing by as many as 15 in the first half. 

The internet responded warmly to Westbrook's rebound performance in Game 3:

While there was no doubt Westbrook was the most impressive player on the court, Andre Roberson continues to shine in this series. He was Oklahoma City's second-leading scorer in each of the first two games and had another strong shooting game with 12 points and six rebounds. 

Westbrook's entire supporting cast was uniformly excellent. The Thunder shot 55.4 percent overall to get a much-needed first win in the series and put the pressure back on the Rockets heading into Game 4.

Given the lukewarm reception for the Oklahoma City roster beyond Westbrook during the season, the social-media critics were pleased with what they saw Friday:

Just as they have been throughout this series, the Rockets were in control during the fourth quarter. They outscored the Thunder 30-22 and were one shot away from stealing a victory. 

Harden was a wizard with 44 points, including shooting 18-of-18 from the free-throw line. He outscored the rest of Houston's starters by 13 points and tied the game at 111 with a three-pointer with 52 seconds remaining. 

Even though the Thunder were able to get in the win column, they can't be totally satisfied with this performance. Westbrook did have a triple-double and the team shot 55 percent from the field, yet the Rockets still had a chance to win at the end. 

The Rockets continue to show their resiliency by fighting back late when they are behind. This is still their series for the taking, but they need to have a strong response on Sunday in Game 4.

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