Thank you, Russell Westbrook; a trip down memory lane
By Rylan Stiles
The OKC Thunder get their first and second playoff series wins and make their first conference finals.
The 2010-11 season was one of the most fun seasons in OKC Thunder history. The team went 55-27, good enough for the four seed out west.
During the regular season, Russ averaged 21 points on eight assists and four rebounds a game on 44 percent from the floor, and 33 percent from deep.
Westbrook began to come into his own and was selected as an All-Star for the first time in his career.
In the playoffs, Westbrook posted 23 points per game with six assists and five rebounds during the course of the postseason.
He helped lead the Thunder past the 5th seed Nuggets in just five games earning the franchise first ever playoff series win, in just their third year in their new city.
Next, the Thunder had to take on a scrappy, grit-and-grind Memphis squad who upset the one seeded Spurs in the first round. That series lasted the full seven games but was highlighted by a 40 point effort from Russell Westbrook in game four of the series. In that game, Memphis started on an 8-0 run, but after 51 Russell Westbrook minutes, 40 points, five rebounds, and five assists, the Thunder topped Memphis on the road.
That magical run came to an end in the next round, when the OKC Thunder ran up against a team of destiny. The 2011 Dallas Mavericks. Dirk’s Mavs took care of the Thunder in five games on their way to beating the newly formed Miami heat big 3 in the NBA finals.
In that series, Russ put up 23.6 points per game with 4.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game. He played his best with his back against the wall in the decisive game five where he scored 31 points, five assists, and eight rebounds.
But, Russ would be back, and this time he would not be denied.