Russell Westbrook’s Belief in Himself Puts Thunder in Control of West Finals

OAKLAND, Calif. — We are witnessing the Will of Westbrook.

It has now won once against the Golden State Warriors.

And because it will forever see a green light no matter the criticism, it is the force that makes the Oklahoma City Thunder capable of winning again and again and again to win this series.

Casual fans drawn to the NBA Western Conference Finals on Monday by the noted artistry of Stephen Curry were introduced to or reminded of what Russell Westbrook does, and what he does is impossible to overlook.

It makes the most of every moment.

It cannot be controlled by external forces.   

And it sends the powerful and profound message that you should always be the hero of your own story.

Westbrook’s personal motto is “Why not?” That attitude was everywhere for the Thunder in the second half of Game 1. OKC didn’t accept that a 13-point halftime deficit meant it was destined to lose and outscored Golden State 61-42 the rest of the way to secure a 108-102 win.

Westbrook certainly doesn’t give a bleep that the Thunder aren’t supposed to march into Oracle Arena again Wednesday and put the Warriors down 0-2 in this series when Golden State hasn’t lost consecutive games, home or away, all season.

But people who refuse to abide by what others deem realistic have been initiating change for all of history. Oftentimes, though, it’s pretty tough to live with those people.

And Westbrook doesn’t make things comfortable.

What you didn’t see Monday night in what Thunder coach Billy Donovan called “an exceptional second half in every facet” (Westbrook had 24 points, five rebounds, four assists, three steals and no turnovers after halftime) was that Westbrook took over some of the coaching duties late in the game.

He came off the floor into one timeout with an idea and summoned Donovan to end his usual private huddle with his staff and come join the players at the bench, where Westbrook proceeded to do most of the talking. When he had communicated what he wanted, Westbrook turned and walked away from the huddle before anyone else was ready, going out and standing alone on the court.

It was not unlike the way he will stand with disinterest on the perimeter of the team’s pregame huddle when Kevin Durant offers words to fire up the team after the lineup is introduced.

Westbrook, 27, works on his terms. Yet he definitely works—and he knows what he’s talking about, too.

Above all, there …

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