Westbrook went 8-for-13 from beyond the arc, shooting an astounding 61.5% from three-point range.
Such a three-point performance was exceedingly rare even across Westbrook's entire career.
The facts proved that Westbrook was indeed a responsible team leader. With the team needing to climb one more spot, he brought out his very best form.
However, the outcome of this game was brutally cruel for Thunder.
Westbrook may have delivered his best three-point performance of the season, yet he still failed to secure the win.
The Grizzlies' strength rendered Westbrook's magic worthless. Just as Link had said, no team in the league understood better than the Grizzlies how to beat Thunder.
Their 72nd win of the season, their second 20-game winning streak—the Grizzlies' regular season was essentially complete.
Next, the Grizzlies still had four games left, against the Spurs, Knicks, Pistons, and Mavericks.
It could be said that those games would come with virtually no pressure. Even if they lost to the Spurs, the Grizzlies would still have a chance to reach 75 wins!
Seventy-five wins in a single season... Well, Link could now proudly declare, "This is a record that will never be broken."
At the postgame press conference, the reporters seemed even more excited than Link himself.
The media room was a noisy mess, with every reporter asking questions about the regular season.
"Having set a new historical record, how do you feel right now?"
"You've now achieved 72 wins in a season twice—that's twice as many as Michael Jordan! Is there anything you'd like to share about that?"
"Link, your regular-season performance this year has been utterly unmatched. After this game, will you begin resting players?"
The reporters were more animated than ever, but Link himself remained exceptionally calm.
Just as he had been when the game ended, the