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Russell Westbrook Triple-Double Watch: Game 26, at the Utah Jazz
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook is threatening to become the first NBA player to average a triple-double since Cincinnati Royals Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson achieved the double-figure points, assists and rebounds mark during the 1961-62 NBA season. A lot has changed in the league since then, which is why Westbrook’s current averages of 30.7 points, 10.8 assists and 10.7 rebounds would make such a feat a remarkable achievement in line with some of the greatest individual seasons in NBA history. If not the greatest individual season in NBA history.
As Westbrook takes on each new opponent while the OKC season drawls on, we’ll be updating his chances at matching the Big O’s feat.
Good heavens, the man is faltering.
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After seven straight contests with a triple-double, Russell Westbrook has failed to hit the mark in two consecutive games. He hasn’t notched the feat since (try to remember where you were) December 9th (it was a Friday) and managed just 20 points, six assists, and six rebounds in a 114-95 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers last night.
Nearly matched by Damian Lillard, who contributed 17 points, nine rebounds and two assists, Russell got to actin’ a little snotty as the game moved along:
All well and deserved, I suppose, as Russell is still averaging a triple-double while lording over an Oklahoma City Thunder team that has won two-thirds of its first 25 games. Still, this is Westbrook’s longest run without a triple-double since the middle of November, a rather frightening turn of events.
With that in place, this damning series of contests (which includes his choppy, Patrick Beverley-addled 29-point, 10-rebound, 10-assist performance against Houston on the 9th) still came after a run of triple-doubles that had Russell working in the same strata as Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson – peeling off triple-double after triple-double in a row.
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Prior to Westbrook’s spectacular failure of a box score, he took the time to talk with USA Today’s Sam Amick about his presence on that list:
“I’ve met him,” Westbrook said of Robertson. “I don’t know him (well enough to) sit down (and) have a conversation type relationship, but I’ve met him before. I haven’t really talked basketball with him before to be able to say that.”
You get the feeling that we’ll see plenty of sit-downs – all televised, of course – with Robertson and Westbrook before the All-Star break, even. Anything that gets either of these men on the record, we’ll take. We have plenty to learn from them.
Westbrook, in talking with Amick, went on:
“But whenever you get the opportunity to be mentioned with those guys – him, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson – those guys, it’s a blessing. It’s something I never take for granted. I definitely don’t want that to go out the window, but at the same time, I always like to live in the moment.”
Living life in the moment:
The Thunder will take on the Utah Jazz tonight, in the second game of a back-to-back. George Hill and his bum big toe will miss yet another contest for Utah, which is iffy news as Hill “held” Westbrook to 17 points (on 14-34 shooting), 16 assists and seven rebounds a contests in two games against Hill’s former club from Indiana in 2015-16.
Russell averaged 21 points, eight rebounds and 7.5 assists per game in four contests against Utah last season. Once again, if he registers a goose egg in either rebounds or assists he will still emerge from his team’s contest with the Jazz with a triple-double average on the season.
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Kelly Dwyer is an editor for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at KDonhoops@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
