Russell Westbrook had himself a terrific, unstoppable Game 4, scoring a game-high 43 points on 20-of-32 shooting in over 45 minutes of play. But as brilliant as he was in the first 47 minutes and 46 seconds of the game, his crucial foul on Mario Chalmers with 13.8 seconds left all but ended any chance for the Thunder to pull off a last-minute comeback.
The Thunder were down three with a jump ball about to commence on the Heat’s offensive end of the floor. 17.3 seconds were left in the contest and Miami had just five seconds to shoot. The ball bounced around before Chalmers finally secured it. Almost instantly, Westbrook swooped in and inexplicably fouled Chalmers, leading Jeff Van Gundy to squeal on the broadcast, “Why are they fouling!?” With the shot clock ticking down and the game still very much in reach, it was the question we all had.
“Just a miscommunication on my part,” Westbrook said after the game. “Nothing I can do about it now.”
Chalmers went on to nail both ensuing free throws, effectively sealing the game. The Heat held on for a 104-98 win and now have a commanding 3-1 lead in the series.
Video via Eye on Basketball
