DALLAS — Russell Westbrook missed.
The Thunder was in the midst of a near-miracle comeback against the Mavericks on Monday, and Westbrook had lined up a 19-foot jumper for the lead with 19 seconds to play and misfired.
In the ensuing Mavericks timeout, Westbrook had a message for his coach, Billy Donovan.
“I told him, ‘I'm not missing another one,'” Westbrook said.
Seconds later, he played the prophet and the hero. Westbrook's 16-footer with 7 seconds to play gave the Thunder a 92-91 win at American Airlines Center and, perhaps, his MVP candidacy a boost.