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Russell Westbrook unleashed the same fury he had in Game 4 [url=http://www.texanscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-jordan-akins-jersey]Jordan Akins Jersey[/url] , just a little more efficiently this time.

Westbrook was controlled, and he was too much for Utah. Silent and serious, the reigning league MVP scored 33 of his 45 points in the second half, and the Oklahoma City Thunder rallied from 25 points down to fight off elimination and beat the Jazz 107-99 in Game 5 on Wednesday night.

”It was win or go home,” Westbrook said. ”Regardless of what is going on in the game, you have to give yourself a chance to win, and I thought our guys did a good job of that tonight. They did an amazing job of sticking together.”

Westbrook got sidetracked during Monday’s Game 4 by a one-on-one matchup with Ricky Rubio. He was in foul trouble for much of Oklahoma City’s loss and was later fined $10,000 and assessed a technical for an altercation late in that game.

With Oklahoma City trailing 3-1 in the series, he focused up in Game 5 and helped keep the season alive. He made 5 of 16 shots in the first half, then 12 of 23 in the second.

Westbrook also had 15 rebounds and seven assists. Paul George added 34 points and eight rebounds for the Thunder, who forced a Game 6 in Salt Lake City on Friday.

”We stopped playing defense,” Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell said. ”We stopped getting back. Our offense got stagnant. They made adjustments and we didn’t make the right adjustments back. We will watch the film and figure out what went wrong, but from my analysis right after the game, we just stopped getting back in transition and they just fed off of that.”

Jae Crowder scored a career playoff-high 27 points, Mitchell had 23 and Joe Ingles added 16 for the Jazz, who still have a 3-2 lead in the series.

They realize it probably should already be over.

”We need to do a better job,” Rubio said. ”Of course [url=http://www.jaguarscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-will-richardson-jersey]Will Richardson Jersey[/url] , you have to give them credit. They made a lot of shots. They took their pride and forced a Game 6. But we are going home and we’ve got to be strong and be confident.”

Oklahoma City took advantage after Utah’s post players, Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors, got into foul trouble. Both finished with five fouls, and Oklahoma City was able to get to the basket consistently for the first time in the series.

Gobert’s absence, in particular, caused problems.

”It’s a different feeling when you don’t have big fella back there,” Mitchell said. ”It’s hard that we put all the pressure on him. We have had success but eventually it’s not going to work and we have to play better defense as guards ourselves.”

Utah opened the second half on an 8-1 run to go up 64-42, and Crowder’s 3-pointer made it 71-46 with 8:34 left in the third quarter.

Westbrook made back-to-back 3-pointers, then after a 3-point play by George, Westbrook made a jumper and a layup to cut Utah’s lead to 73-60 and bring energy back into the arena.

Gobert picked up his fifth foul with 3:46 left in the third quarter. Westbrook’s 3-pointer tied the game at 78 heading into the fourth quarter. He scored 20 points in the third.

Westbrook scored immediately at the start of the fourth to finally put the Thunder in front. Back-to-back 3s by Westbrook and Alex Abrines put Oklahoma City up 96-91, and a jumper by Westbrook with 1:24 left put Oklahoma City up 107-99.

”We just never quit,” George said. ”We never quit. I can’t pinpoint one thing we did wrong. We just never got down on ourselves, regardless of the lead they built and the shots they were making. We could surge back and we did.”

TIP-INS

Jazz: Shot 57 percent in the first quarter to take a 34-29 lead. … Crowder scored 15 points in the first quarter. … Mitchell was fouled on a 3-pointer with 11.1 seconds left in the first half. Before Mitchell shot his free throws, Thunder coach Billy Donovan was called for a technical. Mitchell made all four free throws, and Utah led 56-41 at the break. … Rubio finished with 10 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists.

Thunder: Former Thunder forward Enes Kanter, who was sent to New York in the deal that brought Anthony to Oklahoma City [url=http://www.cowboyscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-sean-lee-jersey]Sean Lee Jersey[/url] , attended the game. Kanter played for Utah before playing for the Thunder. … George made a 3-pointer at the first-quarter buzzer.

STAT LINES

Westbrook had only scored 36 points in the second half of the first four games combined before unleashing 33 in Game 5.

”Just staying aggressive,” Westbrook said. ”Just trying to pick my spots, the same shots I’ve been getting. I’ve just got to concentrate on making them.”

MISSING IN ACTION

Carmelo Anthony scored just seven points on 2-for-6 shooting and played just 26 minutes. When he subbed out in the third quarter, the Thunder trailed 71-53. By the time he subbed back in, Oklahoma City led 88-87.

QUOTABLE

George on not resting in the second half: ”What were we going to rest for? We wanted this game tonight. We needed this game tonight. We were just going to give it everything we had.”

UP NEXT

Game 6 is Friday in Salt Lake City.

—

— If training camp and the preseason opener have indicated anything positive to the Chicago Bears, it’s young talent at key positions could be deeper than anticipated.

Rookie outside linebacker Kylie Fitts and several other Bears outside pass rushers have stepped up at a need area, while seventh-round draft pick Javon Wims is giving an indication competition for jobs at wide receiver will be fierce.

“I think for all of us outside ‘backers it’s a young group, so we all have a lot to show out,” Fitts said.

Fitts made a sack and four tackles Thursday night in the Bears’ 17-16 Hall of Fame Game loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

It’s not the first time this summer the Bears’ sixth-round draft pick from Utah has been harassing quarterbacks. In training camp, he’s almost been too effective as he made contact or got too close to Mitchell Trubiski, Chase Daniel and Tyler Bray.

“We had to get on him the last couple weeks and even in OTAs on staying away from the quarterback,” Bears coach Matt Nagy said.

With the start of preseason games, Fitts can finally finish off sacks.

“He plays extremely hard,” Nagy said. “I have to sometimes remind him to make sure to stay away from the quarterback and the throwing motion and he actually came up to me and apologized to me for it. But you can’t fault a kid for trying to play hard trying to get to the quarterback. So I told him ‘when we get to the preseason, do it as much as you want.’ “

The Bears needed someone to complement outside linebacker Leonard Floyd, and signed former 49ers defensive end Aaron Lynch. Lynch hasn’t practiced due to a hamstring injury, and Nagy said he’ll likely miss another preseason game.

They also have veteran Sam Acho [url=http://www.jaguarscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-blake-bortles-jersey]Blake Bortles Jersey[/url] , who has been a reserve for three seasons in Chicago.

So when Fitts and second-year outside linebacker Isaiah Irving each came up with a sack Thursday, and the pass rush piled up eight sacks, the position seemed less of a problem.

“I feel really comfortable with that,” Nagy said. “And again, having Lynch out right now is a struggle, just because we want him out there. But we’ve got to be safe with him and make sure he’s 100 percent when he’s back.

“But once we get him back with Floyd and Acho and you have these other guys, these younger guys that are coming up, I feel like we’re in good shape at that spot and have depth there.”

Except for a minor arm injury, Fitts has been healthy through camp. He finds it refreshing after injuries kept him off the field his last two college seasons, and likely caused a slide in the draft.

“Last season it was tough sitting out all those plays, but I just ignore, don’t think about injuries. I just come out and think about performing really well,” Fitts said.

Like Fitts, Wims also fell in the draft. He went in the final round after a productive year at Georgia.

So Wims said he has something to prove, and Thursday did it with game-highs of seven catches for 89 yards.

“He did a good job using his size and he also did a good job using his release moves, so that was a positive,” Nagy said. “And then in regards to some details [url=http://www.cowboyscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-cole-beasley-jersey]Cole Beasley Jersey[/url] , he had some sloppy routes too.”

Wims is just another in a large group of receivers to excite Bears offensive coaches. Veterans Allen Robinson, Taylor Gabriel, Kevin White and Josh Bellamy, and rookie Anthony Miller have also been productive in practice.

At 6-foot-3, Wims not only lined up outside, but also in the slot.

“I think the great thing about this offense is all receivers have got to know all positions,” Wims said. “Everybody. You kind of have got to be position-less, and just be plugged in at spots.”

The next test for both young draft picks will be continuing their progress Thursday at Cincinnati

“Usually, the biggest thing that you see happen when a guy has a good game — whoever that is; any position — sometimes, those young guys then start to think, ‘OK, I did a lot to help myself out and now I can kind of coast into practice or coast into the next game,’ ” Nagy said. “And that’s not the case.

“So our message to them is that’s over with now. You did that, you played well. Now improve on that and build (on) those blocks.”

NOTES

Safety Deon Busy (left hamstring) and cornerback Cre’Von LeBlanc (groin) were injured in Thursday’s game and did not practice Saturday. … Nagy said prior to the opener that talks were “stalemated” between the agent for first-round draft pick Roquan Smith and the team as the holdout continues. Nagy said Saturday there have been no new developments and the sides haven’t talked again.

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