"Credit ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy for alerting viewers to the benching of Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook at the end of the third quarter, noting the tense exchange between coach Scott Brooks and Westbrook as he left the court.

"He (Brooks) told him to pass the ball, and Westbrook didn't respond," Van Gundy said. "This happened at the end of the second quarter as well. He has to be open to the fact at the end of the quarter he has to make better plays."

The ESPN game analysts then spent much of the fourth quarter debating whether Westbrook should re-enter the game.

Mark Jackson said he would have gone back to Westbrook midway through the fourth quarter for more shooting and rebounding. After the game, studio analyst Michael Wilbon said he supported Brooks' decision, noting Eric Maynor had no turnovers in 20 minutes while Westbrook had four turnovers.

Studio analyst Magic Johnson, a Hall of Fame guard, said Westbrook needed to shake off the benching and come back strong in Game 3.

"You've got to walk into the locker room, and you've got to high-five the reserves and tell them a great job. Forget everything. We got the victory. That's all that matters.""