Despite last night's loss 118-111 loss to the Phoenix Suns, Oklahoma City's superstar Russel Westbrook continued to get closer to joining NBA Hall of Famer Oscar Robinson as the only players to average a Triple Double in a season. Westbrook put up 48 points, 17 rebounds and 9 assists on 14-30 shooting from the field, while going 17-18 from the free throw line. He had several attempts in the final minute to get his 31st triple double of the season, but his teammates could not capitalize to get him his final assist.
Westbrook makes more NBA history
With his stat line last night of 48,17 and 9 Westbrook became only the third player in NBA history to put up at least those numbers in an NBA game. The other two players were Hall of Famers Elgin Baylor and Wilt Chamberlain, who of course did it twice. He also had his 25th game of the NBA season putting up at least 30 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists.
In the last 30 NBA season the only player to put up those numbers that much was Michael Jordan, who did it in 28 games in the 1988-89 NBA season. This was also his fourth straight game with 40 or more points, making him the first since Kobe Bryant in January 2012 and only the ninth player ever to accomplish that feat.
Some slightly negative history was made as he also became the first player ever to score 40 points in four straight games, while also shooting under 50% in each of those games.
Chasing down Oscar
With Westbrook failing to get a triple double last night he stays stuck at 30 for the season, one behind tying Wilt Chamberlain for the second most in an NBA season.
He is still eleven games behind Oscar Robinson for the most triple doubles in an NBA season, with 20 games left to play. At this point in the season he is on the edge of averaging a triple double, averaging 31.7 points, 10.1 assists and 10.7 rebounds per game.
As mentioned before with only twenty games left to play he needs to put up eleven triple doubles, which is a very fine line to walk. However, if he can finish with a triple double, even if he does not catch Robinson it would still be a mind boggling and MVP worthy feat.
