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Russell Westbrook received an inbounds pass with 10.5 seconds remaining in a tie game with the Utah Jazz on Monday night and began to cruise to the other end of the court. After losing by 20 points earlier this season in Salt Lake City, the Oklahoma City Thunder had a chance to avenge the loss and come away with an impressive road victory.

In the past, Westbrook has been known to make, shall we say, interesting decisions with the game on the line. It wouldn't have been out of character for him to attempt a contested three-point shot once he got within 30 feet of the basket.

Perhaps the Jazz expected that as well.

With the Utah defenders sagging in the paint, Westbrook rejected the temptation to launch from distance. Instead, he took a quick dribble inside the three-point stripe and splashed a game-winning shot with 1.4 seconds left.

"They gave him, like, a ton of space," center Steven Adams said. "He did a real good job at not jacking it straight away."

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"I thought he did a great job coming down the stretch of managing the game," coach Billy Donovan said. "It was a great pull-up shot."

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The shot added to a story that's flown largely under the radar: Westbrook has played remarkably well in clutch situations this season. If the trend continues, it could help separate him in a tight MVP race.

At the halfway point of the season, there are two MVP candidates: Westbrook and his former teammate, James Harden. Both deserve the award, but the separation between the two is razor-thin and subject to eternal debate.

Westbrook, of course, has been a season-long triple-double story. After notching his 22nd triple-double of the season Monday night, the Thunder point guard leads the NBA in scoring at 30.8 points per game, to go with 10.6 rebounds and 10.4 assists. In his first game since being left off as a Western Conference All-Star starter, he unloaded 38 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and four steals on the Northwest Division-leading Jazz.

Harden's 13 triple-doubles so far would normally garner the kind of acclaim Westbrook has received. Instead, his claim to fame is leading the Rockets to a surprising 34-14 start. He's leading the league in assists per game at 11.6, in addition to his 28.6 points and 8.2 rebounds per outing.

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It's difficult to distinguish between their bodies of work in the aggregate, so one question to ask: Who's likelier to win hearts and minds, and how does one do that?

One trick is examining who's made a greater impact when games are in the balance—when the NBA world and its MVP award voters have changed the League Pass channel to the game of the moment.

In other words, when the score is within five points with under five minutes remaining, who has a greater impact on winning?

Westbrook is perplexing as a crunch-time performer. He leads the NBA in total clutch points at 151, per NBA.com. He's also a league-best plus-63 points in those situations. He's not the efficient late-game scorer some desire, nor is he likely to surrender the ball when the game is on the line.

Despite the flaws, his play is a significant factor in Oklahoma City's respectable 15-10 record in clutch-situation games. "I just like to win," Westbrook said earlier this season. "My job is to come out and do whatever it takes to win, and that's what I try to do every night."

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As if Westbrook weren't making enough history with his triple-double stampede, he is also smashing records in another category known as usage rate. This stat measures the number of plays that end with a player shooting the ball, turning it over or getting to the free-throw line.

Westbrook's regular-season usage rate is 41.4 percent, by far the highest in NBA history. That number skyrockets to a historic 60.9 percent in clutch time. A whopping 93.9 percent of his made field goals are unassisted. When games get down to the wire, not even the Jaws of Life could separate Westbrook from the ball.

Though it seems like the rim shrinks in close games, Westbrook's shooting percentages remain mostly in line with his season averages:

FG% 3FG% FT% Regular Season 42.1 32.6 82.4 Clutch Time 40.5 29.4 82.7

On the other hand, Harden's stats fall off in the clutch. The Rockets haven't suffered because of it (14-9 record in clutch-time games), but Harden's shooting hasn't helped matters:

FG% 3FG% FT% Regular Season 44.9 34.9 85.6 Clutch Time 34.7 19.0 77.8

The MVP discussion will be much more complex and nuanced than who has the best stats late in close games. Harden will have an advantage as the Rockets rack up wins and climb in the standings, and triple-doubles alone won't win Westbrook the award.

Making big plays when games get tight might give him a small advantage at season's end.

THUNDER INSIDER'S NOTES

Adams Returns

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Center Steven Adams missed two games after suffering a concussion against the Sacramento Kings. The Thunder surrendered a combined 241 points and two losses during his absence.

His stat line against the Jazz won't turn heads—nine points, six rebounds and four blocks—but he made key plays in the team's win. As ESPN's Royce Young noted, Adams played an underrated role in Westbrook's game-winning shot.

Ben Dowsett of Basketball Insiders had a different viewpoint of the play.

For what it's worth, the NBA's Last Two Minute report on the game ruled the contact as "marginal."

Payne Finding His Footing

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Second-year guard Cameron Payne played in his eighth game since returning from an acute fracture in his right foot. He's shot under 35 percent from the field and 20 percent from three since his return. Donovan has remained patient while Payne works his way back into the lineup.

"It's not about those other four guys adjusting to him," Donovan explained. "He has to adjust to the other four guys."

Payne's slow start isn't unexpected. Before his season debut Jan. 7, his last NBA game was Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals versus Golden State last May. In essence, he's just completed a preseason slate.

D-League Developments

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With Payne back in the lineup, the Thunder assigned guard Semaj Christon to the Oklahoma City Blue of the NBA D-League for a short stint. Christon averaged 18.7 points and six assists per outing over a three-game stretch before the Thunder recalled him Jan. 21.

Another Thunder development project, forward Josh Huestis, has shown signs of improvement this season. He's yet to play a game for the NBA club in 2016-17, but he's averaged 14.2 points on 44 percent shooting with the Blue. He's shooting 36.3 percent from deep as well, an improvement from the sub-32 percent rate in his first two seasons.

All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Stats are accurate as of Jan. 24. Email Jon Hamm at hammj@outlook.com and follow him on Twitter: @JonMHamm.