The Russell Westbrook’s Runner-Up Award hopes to celebrate the little guy – the Robin to Russ’ Batman.
This week started off tough for the Oklahoma City Thunder, as they lost both of their first two games against the Houston Rockets in their opening round of the playoffs.
However last night Billy Donovan‘s team stole a narrow victory whilst they had home-court advantage, winning 115-113 despite James Harden’s monster stat-line.
Prior to their victory they came close to stopping Mike D’Antoni’s men, losing by just four points in comparison to game 1’s 29.
But with two losses from a possible three it makes the decision regarding this week’s Russell Westbrook’s Runner-Up Award more difficult than previous weeks. Despite that this edition goes to a man who has been stellar among adversity – Andre Roberson.
Must Read: Complete Guide to Taj Gibson – OKC Thunder’s Secret Weapon
Andre Roberson Emerges in Playoffs:
For the first time all season, the shooting guard-turned-small forward scored double figures in three consecutive outings, thanks to returns of 18, 12 and 12 respectively.
In the series opener against Houston he scored 70 percent of his attempts from the field, including a season-high four from beyond the arc.
He also grabbed eight rebounds, his most in a game since March, whilst also adding three blocks and two steals in a complete performance, despite the loss. His 18 points was his highest return since the Los Angeles Lakers match-up in February, when he scored 19.
In the mid-week game against the Rockets, Andre again produced. Despite being the least clinical that he had been across the seven-day stretch, he still shot six-from-twelve, producing a 50 percent conversion rate.
Once again he added eight rebounds, three blocks and two steals, and whilst he failed to register an assist he made up for it with no turnovers in 37 minutes.
Finally, in the win last night, Roberson added another 12 points, alongside four dimes and six boards giving him a well-spread stat-line.
More from Thunderous Intentions
- Stealing one player from every Southwest Division team for the OKC Thunder
- Should the OKC Thunder chase after a disgruntled hometown hero?
- 3 OKC Thunder players who can step up in Aleksej Pokusevski’s absence
- Aleksej Pokusevski sidelined approximately 6 weeks with ankle injury
- Damian Lillard does not fit with the OKC Thunder
He was poor from the free-throw line but shot two-of-three from deep, finishing with an overall conversion rate of .625, leaving him a 60-percent field goal percentage for the three games.
His points average, which stands at 14, is over double what he averaged for the regular season, while his 38 minutes last night was only bettered by the sides talisman – Russell Westbrook.
Enjoyed this week’s edition of the RWRUA? Then check out Chris Hughes’ profile here to view earlier editions as well as other articles.