Teammates and coach Scott Brooks, however, have been staunch in defending Westbrook's play.

"We need Russell to score. I know some (people) don't like that," Brooks said. "He got off to a bad start but he came back. Him and Kevin are both terrific players, they both have to score points for us to be successful. I don't look at who gets more, who doesn't get more. I look at the quality of the shots. Could Russell have taken two or three better shots? Absolutely. Going into (Game 3), hopefully that's the case."

Said Durant: "Everyone thinks he should be a traditional point guard like a (John) Stockton. There's a lot of people that cannot be like Russ either. Of course he's going to make mistakes."

This is the continuation of an issue that has been a common talking point since the playoffs last year. The shot comparison between Durant and Westbrook is closely watched by critics. Westbrook's attitude on the matter has remained mostly constant.

"It's just something that comes along with the territory," Westbrook said. "We're in the NBA Finals now and the more negative you hear, the better you're doing. That's how I look at it."