OKLAHOMA CITY -- Almost the first thing Victor Oladipo did when he got back to his locker following the Oklahoma City Thunder's 105-103 win over the Houston Rockets was grab his phone.

"Dunk him!" Oladipo roared.

He was watching the same Vine pretty much everyone else in the NBA world was: Russell Westbrook putting Clint Capela on a vicious left-handed poster. But it was a special kind of poster: It came with five seconds left and the Thunder up by only three points. The rare, elusive, dagger poster.

And to make it even better, Westbrook had called his shot.

"I told Vic before the game that I'd get a left-handed dunk today, didn't know when," Westbrook said. "But I guess I saved the best for last, right?"

Oladipo confirmed that Westbrook made the lefty promise: "He told me that before the game. Yes, he did. I don't know where it came from, but the fact he did it the very last play is incredible. His memory is outstanding."

Russell Westbrook's left-handed slam over Clint Capela in the final seconds sealed the win for the Thunder. AP Photo/Alonzo Adams

The interesting wrinkle to the play is that it was wholly unnecessary, and in many ways, very unwise. The Thunder led by three with possession, 12 seconds left and no shot clock. The Rockets had to foul, and the Thunder needed only one free throw to ice the game. Rookie Alex Abrines ended up with the ball and inexplicably went to the rim, missing a stumbling layup. The Rockets couldn't control it, though, and the Thunder got the ball back. Westbrook curled off a screen and took the inbound pass, and like Abrines, went to the rim. But unlike Abrines, he was going to make sure he ended it.

"Yeah, I thought about it," Westbrook said of the situation. "That's why, you've got to make it. That's the risk you take."

Westbrook paused for a moment.

"At least," he said, grinning a bit, "that's the risk I take."

The play, in so many ways, is a perfect summation of Russell Westbrook. It isn't always about making the smart basketball play. It's often about making the awesome basketball play. He battles against convention and conservatism, pushing the boundaries of what's right and wrong. In no way was that brash dunk the right play. But it ended up that way because Westbrook made it so.

The Thunder locker room was jovial after the game, with players talking about how the dunk energized them. The Thunder had lost four straight after a 6-1 start, including back-to-back losses against lesser opponents in the Magic and Pistons. And late in the third quarter, down 10, the Thunder were facing the prospect of a fifth straight.

Westbrook threw it into gear, and the Thunder defense that was so problematic against the Magic and Pistons slapped the cuffs on James Harden and the Rockets. Houston didn't score for the final six minutes, until Eric Gordon hit a meaningless 3 with 0.9 seconds left, missing 13 of their final 14 shots from distance and scoring only 13 points in the quarter. At the heart of it was Andre Roberson, who is often panned for his offensive issues. He almost exclusively guarded Harden; the Thunder barely switched on screen-and-rolls, keeping Roberson on Harden as much as possible. The payoff: Harden scored a season-low 13 points on 4-of-16 shooting, plus he had six turnovers (and to be fair, 13 assists).

"I think Dre's been doing an amazing job, especially defensively, all year long and he's not getting credit for it," Westbrook said. "He comes out and competes and guards the best players every night and does a great job of it."

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Roberson prevented the showdown so many anticipated, a fireworks show between two of the league's top scorers and assist-makers. While Harden struggled, Westbrook continued his torrid pace: 30 points, 7 rebounds and 9 assists. (Those numbers actually lowers his season averages.)

It was the formula the Thunder are operating by this season. But unlike recent games where Westbrook failed to get support, whether in scoring or on defense, the Thunder showed up against the Rockets. Oladipo had 29 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists, finally giving a glimpse of what the "Flash Brothers" can look like. There have been signs of the Westbrook-Oladipo tandem clicking, but this was the first time it truly came together.

The Thunder weren't shy about the importance of the result. Westbrook dubbed it a "big win," and he's not normally one to speak of anything being more important than another. It's still November, and it's a long road ahead. But after four straight failures and grumblings of feared issues becoming concrete reality, winning, and with such a flourish, could be a significant boost.

"It was huge for us," Oladipo said. "It was real important to me. This organization is known for winning. Losing is unacceptable. We got to do whatever it takes in our power to continue to keep winning."