NBA Playoffs 2011: Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Denver Nuggets Post-Game Reaction

Game 4 of the Denver Nuggets versus the Oklahoma City Thunder was a hard-fought matchup that came down to the very last shot, but ultimately ended with a Nuggets victory, forcing a Game 5.

Though it's hard to place blame on one particular play, or one particular player, it must be said: Russell Westbrook took some god awful shots at the end of the game.

With the Thunder down two points, Westbrook was dancing with the ball at the top of the key, guarded by the 6'10" Danilo Gallinari. Instead of going to the rim, which Westbrook had proven over and over again he could do at will, he pulled up for a contested three, and bricked it.

Then down three, Westbrook came down the right baseline and pulled up for a transition three.

Air ball.

It was like watching a young player try on a new role, they way children try on their parents shoes, just to see how they fit.

This role however, was to big for him.

Westbrook is a fantastic player and maybe the best guard in the league when it comes to finishing at the rim, behind only Derrick Rose.

He is not an incapable shooter but game-saving three-pointers, should be left to that other Thunder All–Star, regular season leading scorer, Kevin Durant.

But before all that the Thunder were already in a bad way.

They just couldn't seem to corral any defensive rebounds.

Though the Nuggets only grabbed one more offensive rebound than the Thunder, they got them at key moments, the end of the third quarter, the start of the fourth quarter, and almost anytime the Thunder started a run.

It was as if the length of the Thunder, which they used to control the paint early on came back to hurt them.

The Nuggets had to take a lot of jump shots which resulted in long rebounds. Long rebounds which they ate up and turned into points.

Danilo Gallanari, who scored 18 points in the second half, scored most of his points off of offensive rebounds.

Ty Lawson played big for the Nuggets as well.

What Lawson gives up to Westbrook in athleticism, he made up for in intelligence.

He just seemed to always make the right play. He used the head fake effectively, he shot the gaps when they were open, and he played the baseline like a piano.

Whenever Ty Lawson got the ball on the baseline the Nuggets scored, usually three-pointers.

The Nuggets kept their composure and found the open man down the stretch. Poor foul shooting almost beat them in the end however.

Still though, the Thunder will win the series.

Westbrook was out of his mind in crunch time, the Thunder big men did a great job blocking shots but couldn't clean up the glass, and Durant hardly touched the basketball down the stretch.Those things will not happen every game.

The Thunder will win one game before the Nuggets win three. Going way out on a limb here.