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Ricky Rubio had 26 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for Utah's first playoff triple-double in 17 years, and Donovan Mitchell added 22 points to lead the Jazz to a 115-102 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night and a 2-1 lead in their first-round series.
Joe Ingles, who had 21 points, made two 3-pointers around two free throws to spark a 13-0 surge that ended on Mitchell's 3 to put Utah up by 20 points in the fourth quarter. The big run was just par for the course in a series characterized by large runs by one team, then countered by the other.
Rubio's triple-double was the first by a Jazz player in the postseason since John Stockton in the 2001 playoffs against Dallas.
Paul George scored 23 points and Carmelo Anthony, Russell Westbrook and Raymond Felton each had 14 for the Thunder. Westbrook also had 11 rebounds and nine assists, just missing his ninth playoff triple-double but also had eight turnovers and shot 5 for 17.
Oklahoma City Thunder vs Utah Jazz Game 4: April 23, 2018
Gobert's dunk and pair of free throws capped a 9-0 run in the third quarter to give Utah an 84-70 lead. Minutes later, Rubio hit a running 28-foot 3-pointer to make it 89-75 entering the final period.
The Jazz changed coverages on Westbrook throughout the game and surprised the perennial All-Star with different players in his expected passing lanes.
Utah also outrebounded the Thunder 48-33 and seemed much quicker to the loose balls in the midst of a charged atmosphere. The Jazz's hustle plays energized the packed arena festooned in the colors of Southern Utah - red, orange and yellow.
at Timberwolves 121, Rockets 105: Jimmy Butler hit four 3-pointers among his 28 points and Karl-Anthony Towns snapped back from a bad start to the series with 18 points and 16 rebounds, leading the Minnesota Timberwolves past the Houston Rockets 121-105 in Game 3 on Saturday night for their first postseason victory in 14 years.
Jeff Teague scored 23 points and Andrew Wiggins pitched in 20 points with another four 3-pointers, helping the Timberwolves match the fire-away Rockets from behind the arc and cruise down the stretch behind a 50 percent shooting performance.
Derrick Rose added 17 points off the bench for the Wolves, who will try to even the series with a win in Game 4 on Monday night.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs Houston Rockets Full Game Highlights / Game 4 / 2018 NBA Season
James Harden led the way with 29 points, but Chris Paul fouled out with 17 points and the Rockets went just 15 for 41 from 3-point range.
The Rockets made four 3-pointers on their last seven possessions of the first half to turn an 11-point deficit to just one in less than 3{ minutes up until the break. Butler twisted his left ankle during that stretch, causing some brief anxiety in the arena. He didn't require, or accept, any medical attention and returned from the intermission without any hint that he was hurt. Read More Here
Russell Westbrook is losing everything vs. Jazz, even trash-talk battle with Mitt Romney
SportsPulse: USA TODAY Sports NBA Insider Sam Amick breaks down a pair of Western Conference matchups that appear to be on the verge of ending. USA TODAY Sports
(Photo: Russell Isabella, USA TODAY Sports)
Russell Westbrook was taunted by Mitt Romney on Monday night, but the former Republican presidential candidate is the least of his troubles.
As the Oklahoma City Thunder slips ever closer to an empty summer, Westbrook is losing in all kinds of ways. Against the Utah Jazz, he is losing the battle and losing the war.
He is losing the trash talk battle, losing the battle of the minds, and, when things get heated on the floor, seems close to losing his own mind. He is also in danger of losing his season altogether, with the Thunder now 3-1 down and one defeat from elimination, and therefore losing the dream of a deep postseason run alongside Carmelo Anthony and Paul George.
Having Romney raise four fingers as Westbrook picked up his fourth first-half foul in Salt Lake City set the Internet alight and, frankly, was as surreal as it was amusing. But Westbrook has more to worry about than the cheeky antics of an opportunistic politician.
Ricky Wobfio ✔@World_Wide_WobThis game has everything, including Mitt Romney taunting Westbrook lol
The Thunder are 2-7 in the playoffs since Westbrook became the main man in OKC, and it's safe to say things aren't going anything like he imagined. Westbrook has one more chance to prove he is capable of being the kind of leader his team needs to make any kind of further progress, but for now he's getting mad, not getting even, then getting even madder.
Westbrook is full of internal fire, but he's channeling it in a way that helps the opposition more than himself or his own team.
Ahead of Monday night, he started off by boldly predicting, no, guaranteeing, that there would be no repeat of Ricky Rubio's offensive explosion for Utah from Game 3, vowing to "shut that (expletive) down". In the end, it was the Thunder that got locked out. Read More Here
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