Westbrook records 7th triple-double of the season in thrilling win over Raptors
Russell Westbrook's long, terrible streak is finally over.
After going one entire game without a triple-double, Westbrook was back at it on Sunday, posting his seventh triple-double of the season and his fifth in the last six games.
It took Westbrook just three quarters against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday, as he entered the fourth quarter with 26 points, 10 rebounds and 15 assists, with four steals just for good measure.
He would finish with 30 points, 11 rebounds and 17 assists, tying his career-high in assists and hitting several big shots down the stretch as the Thunder hung on at home for the 108-104 victory.
The Oklahoma City Thunder guard's run of play has been truly incredible, with his one non-triple-double game on Thursday coming in a 43-point, eight-rebound, seven-assist effort. The Player of the Month for February and a sudden MVP candidate, Westbrook has averaged 33.1 points, 9.6 rebounds and 10.5 assists over his last 15 games. He's averaging 27.4 points, 7.1 rebounds and 8.3 assists on the season, truly rarefied air.
With his seventh of the season, Westbrook joins an elite class of only eight other players to record so many triple-doubles in a single season. His total of seven is the highest in the league since LeBron James in 2008-09. Westbrook has played 48 games, making that unbelievably heady company all the more impressive.
Of far greater import than his own accomplishments is that Westbrook led the Thunder to their 12th win in their last 16 games. They're now 6-3 during Kevin Durant's absence to replace the screw in his surgically repaired right foot, helping keep the Thunder a game ahead of the New Orleans Pelicans for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Westrbook was supported Sunday by Enes Kanter (21 points, 12 rebounds, four assists) and Serge Ibaka (21 points, seven rebounds, five blocks), who owned the Raptors' inside. Jonas Valanciunas grabbed just one defensive rebound, Amir Johnson managed just two points and three rebounds and the Thunder had a plus-16 advantage on the glass overall.
The loss is the eighth in nine games for Toronto, who still can't get Kyle Lowry (5-of-15, 14 points, five assists) going. DeMar DeRozan (24 points, nine assists) and Terrence Ross (20 points) continued to show signs of renewed life, but things have gone awry in The 6. The Raptors are now 38-25 and have fallen to fourth in the East after once looking to have a secure hold on the two-seed.