Russell Westbrook drilled a 3-pointer, his Utah counterpart Ricky Rubio walked the ball up court so slowly that he didn't get the ball across the time line in the required eight seconds, and the avalanche had begun Wednesday night at Chesapeake Arena.
The Thunder scored 19 straight points in perhaps its best six minutes of the season, took a 10-point lead on the Jazz and seemed in position to put this Western Conference playoff series on ice.
But the Thunder couldn't stand prosperity.
The Jazz beat the Thunder 102-95 by dominating the final 13 minutes. After the Thunder took a 77-67 lead, its defense evaporated.