With the Oklahoma City Thunder down by three points with just under 20 seconds to go in a nail-biter against the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday, the ball was naturally in Russell Westbrook’s hands.Although the reigning MVP’s most impressive ability is to get to the rim past virtually any defender in the league, it was obvious that he only had one thing on his mind: shooting the ball from deep to tie the game. Rising up over Patty Mills after gaining some separation, he clanked the ball of the side of the rim and the Spurs gained possession. After some late-game formalities in the form of free throws, the game ended.San Antonio leapfrogged Oklahoma City in the standings and Westbrook shot just 2-of-8 in the fourth as the Thunder managed just 18 final-quarter points against their veteran opponents. He also had two turnovers and air-balled a three-pointer a couple minutes before that miss.Westbrook’s willingness to take the game-tying three can be perceived in one of two ways. On one hand, it might have made more sense to attack the rim, convert a two-pointer and then foul in the hopes of the Spurs missing a free throw. Plus, there’s always the chance of a foul resulting in an and-one opportunity on the layup or dunk conversion. On the other hand, he has proven to be a cold-blooded late-game shooter over the years and his confidence is never something that can be questioned.After the game, coach Billy Donovan made it clear that he had no issue with the shot."I trust him in those situations. He's very bright and he's very smart," Donovan said, per Royce Young of ESPN. "I'm going to trust him in those situations."I never think it's about that, as much as I think it's about the competitiveness and the willingness to go out and try and win a game," the coach added. "I've always admired the fact that he doesn't shy away from that. And it kind of makes him who he is as a player. And more often than not, you're not going to make as many game-winning shots as you're going to miss. That's just the reality of it. But it's the courage to go up there and do that night in and night out and have a belief in yourself to make those kind of shots.”Westbrook also made it crystal-clear that he will continue to take those kind of shots in his postgame session with the media. He also didn't seem to appreciate the question:

As a whole, the Thunder have struggled to close out games this season. They were plagued by the issue early in the year, which caused them to get off to a slow start. The question remains how and if the team will be able to play up to its sky-high potential before the season concludes.

In Westbrook they trust

As indicated by his sky-high usage rate of 33.4, which ranks just behind James Harden and Joel Embiid for the NBA lead, the Thunder live and die on the shoulders of Westbrook. That point is proven further by the fact that Oklahoma City has gone a ridiculous 84-18 when Westbrook records a triple-double over the course of his career.

That being said, there’s no denying that he thrives in an up-tempo offensive environment, capitalizing on the opportunities presented by defenses that aren’t set. After all, the Thunder rank first in the NBA with 18.7 points off turnovers per game this year. Although Paul George’s defensive prowess certainly is a major factor contributing to that number, Westbrook’s elusiveness and creativity on the break is what sets him apart, especially factoring in his unmatched athleticism.

But, there’s a possibility that playing at such a breakneck pace early in games could be the reason why the Thunder haven’t been able to thrive this year. Although Westbrook still maintains explosiveness through the final whistle, the numbers suggest that there's a drop-off of sorts from the Thunder as a whole as games progress.

Consider the following.

In the first quarter, Westbrook and the Thunder have played at a pace of 102.4. That’s the seventh-fastest speed in the NBA.

In the second quarter, that number decreases to 100.05, which ranks 18th. Although Raymond Felton is usually at the helm of the offense for half of that quarter, it’s still quite a drop-off overall.

After halftime, the Thunder play at a pace of 99.76 in the third, good for 12th-highest in the league. But, in the fourth quarter, that number drops off to just 94.13.

That’s the second-slowest pace in the entire NBA. Considering the fact that Oklahoma City devolves from the seventh-fastest team in the first quarter to the second-slowest in the fourth raises a whole bunch of concerns. Most of all, it calls into question the entire identity of the team.

A team without an identity

What team is Billy Donovan coaching? The first quarter team or the fourth? What does the gameplan call for? Regardless of the answers to those questions, there are more numbers available that suggest fatigue might be an issue.

In the fourth quarter of all of their victories, OKC’s average pace has been 92.76, the second-slowest in the league. But, in losses, they’ve seemingly been unable to keep up with other teams playing at a higher tempo, as indicated by the 96.01 average pace. That ranks 22nd in the NBA. That's a significant difference. 

Further, in the first quarter, the Thunder average 28.0 points per game (seventh in the NBA) with a plus-minus of plus-2.5. That is third-best in the league.

However, they’ve put up 25.8 in the fourth (18th in the NBA) with a plus-minus of plus-0.9. Their field goal percentage also has declined from 47.6 in the first to 44.2 in the fourth. Although that’s relatively expected due to the wear and tear associated with playing a full 48-minute game, it’s still worth mentioning.

What makes the situation especially confusing is that the team thrives in the up-tempo first quarter and also has experienced marginal success playing at a snail’s pace in the fourth (as they have done in most of their 44 victories). Therefore, Billy Donovan’s job isn’t easy. Would the team be better off playing faster consistently or slower consistently? Or, is the current mix the best option?

That answer isn’t known. However, playing at such extreme ends of the spectrum in terms of pace within most games hasn’t proven to be especially effective overall, as the team certainly hasn't gotten over the hump during the regular season.

Looking ahead

There is a silver lining, though.

The Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets are expected to be the two teams that will meet in the Western Conference Finals. The Warriors are one of the fastest-paced teams in the league when they’re at full strength while the Rockets morphed from the fastest-paced team in the NBA at the beginning of the year to one of the slowest in recent months, instead focusing on getting high-percentage looks in half court sets.

Therefore, the Thunder will likely be able to adapt to both styles of play if they match up against either or both teams. But, not having an identity of their own might end up haunting Oklahoma City in the end.

After dropping a 126-125 overtime thriller against the Denver Nuggets on Friday night, the Thunder fell to 44-33 on the campaign and can realistically finish anywhere between third and ninth place in the packed Western Conference.

They'll need to dig deep in order to finish strong. Along the way, they might find out what kind of team they really are.