Russell Westbrook takes blame for Thunder’s Game 3 loss

3:22 AM ET

OKLAHOMA CITY — Russell Westbrook walked to the podium, wearing a red bandana and a teal Patagonia T-shirt with the sleeves cut off, sat down and was ready to take the blame for the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 100-96 Game 3 loss to the San Antonio Spurs.

“Execution. That starts with me,” Westbrook said. “I’ve got to do a better job of executing and putting guys in position to score the basketball, especially late. And especially against good defense. You’ve got to find ways to move the ball around and that starts with me, so I’ve got to do a better job leading into the next game.”

With 7:11 left in the fourth quarter, Westbrook snapped over his left shoulder, rising into an off-balance 10-foot jumper. It caught front iron, but Westbrook already was on his trampoline snaring the rebound and kicking to the corner for a Serge Ibaka go-ahead 3. A minute later, Westbrook was hitting a wing 3 to extend the lead to four. The Thunder finally had the Spurs on the run, and a pivotal win was within reach.

But over the final five minutes, the Thunder were outscored 17-11, hitting four of their final eight shots, and committing three back-breaking turnovers, two by Westbrook.

Russell Westbrook tried to do too much by himself in Game 3 against the Spurs, missing 21 of his 31 shots. Mark D. Smith/USA TODAY Sports

“I turned the ball over, especially with the game on the line,” he said. “Just got to do a better job, man, lock in. I take responsibility when the ball is in my hands to make plays for my teammates and I didn’t do that tonight.”

Westbrook blossomed this season, his best yet, because he prioritized playmaking over scoring, letting the former dictate the latter. His elevation resulted in an eye-popping 18 triple-doubles, as …

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