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MVP Westbrook Shines in All-Star Game

The world’s best were in Madison Square Garden on Sunday night, and two Thunder players were amongst the brightest of all the stars.

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook competed for the Western Conference in the 2015 All-Star Game and displayed their skills against the rest of the NBA’s most prolific players. Durant played just ten minutes on the night, scoring three points and grabbing three rebounds, but Westbrook got extended minutes and was electrifying in those moments, ultimately being named Most Valuable Player of the game.

“You never want to take any games off, especially an All-Star Game to get a chance to go out and show your talents,” Westbrook said. “I’m blessed to be able to play the game that I love.”

The four-time All-Star had an unforgettable first half, scoring an All-Star Game record 27 points in just 11 first half minutes. He shot 11-for-15 from the field, including 3-for-5 from the three-point line in the first half, while also grabbing four rebounds. Westbrook and Durant checked in together with 4:55 left in the first quarter and in that closing stretch, Westbrook scored 12 points on two alley-oop dunks, two free throws, a put-back dunk, a driving layup and a fast break dunk just before the buzzer sounded.

The most sensational moment of that stretch was an alley-oop jam that Westbrook slammed home off a pass from half-court from Chris Paul. Westbrook rose up and dunked backwards with two hands.

Westbrook was nowhere close to being finished in that first half, however, opening the second quarter with a barrage of three-straight three-pointers, earning ooh’s and ahh’s from the New York City crowd. Westbrook followed that up with an alley-oop jam and two more layups after a timeout to bring his tally to 27, more than anyone has scored in one half in All-Star Game history.

In the third quarter, Westbrook scored six points on three dunks, including one where he hit his head on the backboard, then another when he made a steal in the open floor and slammed it home with authority. Through three quarters and just 16 minutes, Westbrook scored 33 points while grabbing five rebounds, handing out one assist and making three steals. Even while having his own incredible game, he still tried to get Durant open shots and get his Thunder teammate into the groove of the game.

“That’s shows the type of bond we have and the type of player he is,” Durant said.

The game was all tied at 122-122 at the end of three quarters, setting up what turned out to be a great finish. With 8:26 remaining Westbrook knocked down a corner three-pointer in transition, bringing his tally to 36 points. He took another rest in the fourth quarter, but re-entered late in the game, knocking down his fifth three-pointer with just over two minutes remaining.

With the game on the line late and the West holding on to just a three-point lead with a few seconds remaining, Westbrook tied Michael Jordan for second place in All-Star Game history with 40 points by knocking down a free throw. Westbrook then surpassed Jordan to get to 41 points, one shy of Wilt Chamberlain’s all-time record, sealing a 163-158 victory.

“It’s an honor to be grouped with those two guys, especially in the All-Star Game,” Westbrook said of Jordan and Chamberlain. “We were just trying to find a way to win the game and close the game out... I’m happy that we won and definitely blessed to have the MVP.”

After the game, Westbrook was of course grinning ear-to-ear about the win and coming away as the MVP, but Durant was even more ecstatic. The duo were both thrilled to enjoy this moment together, just two years after Durant won the award during All-Star Weekend in Houston. As young men who have grown up together and been through years of battles together, sharing the win and the MVP award was sweet.

“It was definitely amazing to share this with a brother,” Westbrook said of Durant. “He’s definitely happy for me. I can’t wait to get back on the floor with him and get things going.”

“It was fun watching him go out and do his thing like that,” Durant said. “He’s a brother. I’m so happy for him. He deserves it… It shows what type of person he is. The perseverance he showed and adversity he went through, he was resilient.”