Throughout his NBA career, Russell Westbrook has dazzled with his high-flying ways on the court, not being afraid to finish strong to the basket. That skill of his was once again on full display on Sunday when the Oklahoma City Thunder hosted the Los Angeles Lakers.

With 9:55 left in the third quarter, the reigning MVP ran towards the hoop and received the ball off a perfect bounce pass from Paul George. Westbrook then soared high to the rim and threw down a powerful tomahawk slam that got the crowd inside Chesapeake Energy Arena on their feet and all fired up.

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Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives against Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (3) in the fourth quarter during game one of the western conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center.
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Westbrook finished the game with another impressive stat line of 36 points on 15-of-25 shots from the field, to go along with five rebounds, nine assists, and one steal. George also had a solid outing with 26 points, seven rebounds, and three assists, but their efforts were not enough to lead the Thunder to a victory. It was the fourth consecutive loss for Oklahoma City, and the team is now only half a game ahead of the Portland Trail Blazers for fifth place in the tough Western Conference, owning a 30-24 win-loss slate.

The Lakers had six players who recorded double digits in scoring, with Brook Lopez pacing them with 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists. Julius Randle chipped in with 19 points, six rebounds, and four assists, while Jordan Clarkson had 18 points of his own to help the team win their second consecutive game and improved their record to a more respectable 21-31 for the season.