On this day in 2012, Oklahoma City Thunder budding superstar Russell Westbrook hit arguably his most memorable shot of his career with a wild and-one circuit shot against the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2012 NBA playoffs during the second round.
The shot erupted the home crowd as the Thunder would go on to win in five games before eventually making the NBA Finals. The shot is remembered for it being the young Thunder core’s “we’ve arrived” moment as momentum shifted with a Game 5 series-clinching win. The young Thunder beating the veteran Lakers were seen by some as a passing of the torch moment as the former would spend most of the 2010s being a constant title contender while the former entered a rebuild.
On this day in 2012… Russell Westbrook converted this wild finish off the steal! #NBA75 pic.twitter.com/ysK4VsznM9
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) May 21, 2022
