Russell Westbrook did his job. The rest of the Oklahoma City Thunder? Not so much.
Westbrook poured in a career-high 58 points Tuesday against the Portland Trail Blazers on 21-of-39 shooting from the field along with 13-of-16 from the charity stripe. He also chipped in nine assists, three rebounds, and three steals.
His 58-point effort ranks second to Klay Thompson (60) for most points in a game this season. It also eclipses Westbrook's previous career high of 54 points, established two seasons ago.
Despite Westbrook's ridiculous stat line, OKC dropped a crucial 126-121 result to the visiting Blazers. Westbrook scored 17 points in the fourth, but bricked a pair of wide-open jumpers that could have tied or given his team the lead with less than a minute remaining.
The Thunder likely would have come away with the win if they'd bothered to play defense: They allowed the Blazers to hit 55 percent from the field and 48 percent from deep while conceding 27 foul shots.