All things considered, the Thunder weren't undone by their usual indifference to defense Friday night.
No one's suggesting this team is 1986 Chicago Bears, but Oklahoma City did enough defensively against the Grizzlies that it could claim there was progress as promised.
Coach Scott Brooks has been asking/pleading for some defensive dignity much of the past month, particularly after the team gave up 135 points last time out against Dallas.
But in a season where nothing has gone straight, a problem arose Friday that we just haven't seen in awhile in the 100-92 loss to Memphis.
Russell Westbrook just wasn't any good.
Seems weird to type. Sounds weird to say, especially this season. Westbrook has been so good, for so long from the two hands worth of triple-doubles, countless awards, even an appearance on the Sports Illustrated cover, that it doesn't seem natural to consider.
But that's what happened.
And it's just the most-recent example of just nothing going right for the Thunder this year.
Oklahoma City lost to Memphis, lost ground to the New Orleans Pelicans and now, if Westbrook starts playing poorly, will have lost its way heading into the final six games of the season.
Unfair because of injuries to Kevin Durant and more, but it's nothing but cruelty if what got the Thunder this far (Westbrook) abandons them.
Things have to fall just right on a good day for the Thunder to get a victory, but if Westbrook goes 5-of-20 like he did against the Grizzlies, this team has no chance.
No chance of winning. No chance of making the playoffs. No chance of doing anything but waiting until everyone comes back to make a renewed charge toward the light, which would need to be scheduled for some time next season.
Westbrook scored 18 points and had seven rebounds and had seven assists, but he missed all three of his 3-pointers and missed five free throws, too. Enes Kanter was great again (24 points, 17 rebounds) and Kyle Singler and Anthony Morrow each had 13 points.
Singler and Morrow were just fine. Kanter, too, but only if Westbrook does his seemingly usual triple-double assault. Anything short of that and the Thunder have to get record performances from its complementary pieces.
Overall, Oklahoma City shot just 40.9 percent and made just 4-of-17 3-pointers, three coming from Singler.
Overall, Westbrook wasn't his normal self. And if Westbrook isn't normal, there's not a lot else for the Thunder to be able to count on.
There's only six games to go in the regular season and OKC is in a virtual tie with New Orleans for the final Western Conference playoff spot. It's up to Westbrook to return this team to its mangled sense of normalcy.
Follow Andrew Gilman on Twitter: @andrewgilmanOK
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