Russell Westbrook and Paul George orchestrated one of the biggest comebacks in NBA playoff history

The Thunder were down 25 midway through the third quarter. And then, Russ and Playoff P went bananas.

With their backs against the wall, the Thunder trailed the Jazz by 17. Then 22. Then 25.

It was getting ugly for an Oklahoma City team that had put together three stars over the summer, clawed its way to the No. 4 seed in the West, then found itself trailing the Utah Jazz, 3-1, in the first round of the playoffs. As a matter of fact, it was beyond ugly — the score was straight hideous.

And then Russell Westbrook turned in a performance only Russell Westbrook could turn in. And his sidekick, Paul George, was right there with him. It was the performance the Thunder had been waiting all series long for them to have. And it couldn’t have come at a better time.

The Thunder pulled off the third biggest comeback in NBA playoff history, according to the NBA TV broadcast, completing a 25-point rally. According to ESPN Stats & Info, it was the first time in 2,556 tries of a team being down 25 or more points that the trailing team entered the fourth quarter with the lead.

The reigning league MVP — the man who broke Oscar Robertson’s triple-double record, then averaged a triple-double for the second year in a row — scored 45 points on 17-of-38 shooting from the field. He became just the third player in NBA playoff history to finish a game with 45 points, 15 rebounds and at least five (seven) assists. The other two? LeBron James in 2012 and Wilt Chamberlain in 1964.

When the Thunder trailed by 25 with 8:34 left in the third quarter, Westbrook only had 12 points. He ended up scoring 32 points in the final 20:34 of the game. He started the night 5-of-19 from the field but powered the Thunder’s rally on 12-of-20 shooting.

And he wasn’t alone

Paul George scored 36 points in Game 1, earning the nickname “Playoff P” with his performance. But he came out a bit flat in Games 2 and 3 with 41 points combined in those two losses. He went off for 32 points in Game 4, but OKC lost that one, too.

Game 5 was a different story.

George started heating up just when Westbrook did. After shooting 4-of-11 to start the night, he exploded for 21 points on 8-of-15 shooting in the final 21 minutes of the game. When the Jazz started to claw into the Thunder lead with under three minutes left, Playoff P hit one of the most boss shots of the game: he curled around a screen, took a huge step-back and absolutely drilled a three to keep Utah at bay.

Westbrook and George combined for 54 points in the second half and powered the Thunder for a win they absolutely had to have. Part of the reason they were so successful? Rudy Gobert got into foul trouble midway through the third quarter. After he did, Russ and Playoff P absolutely pounded the paint, which opened scoring opportunities all across the court.

Gobert probably won’t get into foul trouble as easily in Game 6, and the series shifts back to Salt Lake City for an elimination game on the Jazz’s own home court. The Thunder will need Westbrook and George to be just as big, if not bigger, if they’re going to force a Game 7. And if not, then they had better hope Carmelo Anthony is here to play.