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Westbrook after 17-assist game: 'I'm just trying to do a better job of leading'

Kent Smith / National Basketball Association / Getty

Russell Westbrook was unstoppable on Sunday night in his dissection of the Denver Nuggets.

"He was nearly flawless except for the two free throws he missed which we'll work on tomorrow," Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Scott Brooks said.

More than anything, it was Westbrook's 17 assists that stood out in OKC's 119-94 victory.

For a score-first point guard often criticized for his shot-selection and decision-making, Westbrook looked anything but on Sunday, as his 21 points came on a more reserved (and efficient) 8-of-12 shooting while turning the ball over only two times.

"I'm just trying to do a better job of leading, man," Westbrook said afterwards, as reported by The Oklahoman's Darnell Mayberry. "That's my job is to integrate the new guys and lead them into the direction of where we want to go."

The Thunder, who will be without Kevin Durant for at least the next week, added Enes Kanter, D.J. Augustin, Kyle Singler and Steve Novak at Thursday's trade deadline, while shipping Reggie Jackson, Kendrick Perkins and Grant Jerrett out of town.

Westbrook knows those new faces, along with his longer tenured teammates, can benefit from his playmaking.

"I think it’s great not just for myself but good for the rest of my teammates," Westbrook said. "I think they feel comfortable about their game. I can get mine and take shots when I have the opportunity. But I think it's great for them to have open shots and open looks and feel great about their game. And as you see it works out for us.

"If guys are putting two guys on me that means somebody’s open and that’s a part of my job," Westbrook later added.

The 17 assists and 12 field goal attempts are an outlier for a player who leads the league with a usage rate above 37 percent and ranks second in scoring, but the Thunder don't need a new and improved Westbrook. They'll be quite fine letting Russ be Russ.

The 26-year-old is posting career-highs almost across the board, averaging 26.1 points, eight assists, 6.4 rebounds and 2.1 steals for a Thunder team that is 27-15 with Westbrook in the lineup and 4-10 without him. He's also on track to become just the 13th player to ever post a 29-plus PER season.

The Thunder have won six straight games to finally get a firm grasp on the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

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