Westbrook's triple-double helps Thunder win 7th straight

Russell Westbrook continues to lay waste to the NBA.

It took him all of 27 minutes to record a triple-double against the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday, scoring 20 points with 11 rebounds and 10 assists before the third quarter even came to a close. 

He would play just one more minute from there as his Oklahoma City Thunder cruised to a 105-92 victory, their seventh in a row.

The triple-double was Westbrook's third of the season and third in the last five weeks, continuing his ridiculous run of play. He's coming off a game on Sunday in which he tied his career high in assists with 17 (with 21 points and eight rebounds). He's averaged 29.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 9.1 assists since Jan. 28, not including his obscene, 41-point MVP performance in the All-Star Game.

A lock for Western Conference Player of the Month, he's now also firmly entrenched as an MVP candidate. The Thunder are 10-6 when Westbrook plays but reigning MVP Kevin Durant sits, as he did for this game.

Westbrook's full-season stat line is bordering on ridiculous. In 43 games, he's averaging 25.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and eight assists, all in just 32.6 minutes.

He also leads the league in technical fouls with 12, because he cares that damn much.

In short, Westbrook is playing the best basketball of his career at a time when his Thunder need it most. Tuesday's win pushes Oklahoma City to 32-25, two-and-a-half games up on the ninth seed in the Western Conference and suddenly within striking distance of the seventh-seeded San Antonio Spurs.

The Thunder now embark on a four-day, three-game road trip, important games they'll likely play without Durant. Westbrook, it would appear, is game for the challenge.