It's not time to panic, but Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder will need to get their act together if they plan on advancing in the Western Conference Playoffs.
After Tuesday night's 114-94 loss, the Thunder find themselves trailing in their first-round series against the Portland Trail Blazers by a score of two games to none.
When asked what sort of adjustments need to be made heading into Game 3, Westbrook had a simple reply: “Just win.”
Russell Westbrook, who vowed to be better in Game 3, on what areas he is specifically focused on improving tonight: “Just win. Just win.”
— Royce Young (@royceyoung) April 19, 2019
Westbrook recorded his ninth career triple-double in Game 1, scoring 24 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds. In Game 2, however, he was held to just 14 points, though he still had 11 assists and nine rebounds.
Westbrook went 5-for-20 from the field in Game 2, including a 1-of-6 mark from three-point territory. As a team, the Thunder were 5-of-28 from the perimeter. On the series, Oklahoma City has made 10 of their 61 shots (.164) from 3-point range.
“I've got to play better,” Westbrook told ESPN after Game 2. “Tonight, the loss, I'm going to take full responsibility of tonight because the way I played was unacceptable. I'm going to be better.”
Damian Lillard, who is being credited for his defense of Westbrook in this series, says the Trail Blazers need to maintain their focus moving forward:
“I know how quickly things can change,” Lillard told ESPN. “A series doesn't start until you win a game on the road. I also know how capable their team is.
“We have to maintain our focus, stay sharp and understand how well we played in the first two games is not going to be good enough in the third game, especially on their home floor. We've got to keep our heads down and keep working.”
The Thunder and Trail Blazers will meet for Game 3 on Friday night. Tip-off inside Chesapeake Energy Arena is set for 9:30 p.m. ET, with ESPN having live broadcast coverage.
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