OKLAHOMA CITY—Chalk up another triple-double record for Russell Westbrook.
Westbrook set a National Basketball Association (NBA) record with his 10th straight triple-double, Paul George scored 47 points, and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Portland Trail Blazers, 120-111, on Monday night.
Westbrook broke a tie with Wilt Chamberlain, who had nine straight triple-doubles in 1968, by finishing with 21 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists. Westbrook already was the only person to average a triple-double in consecutive seasons, and he set the single-season record for triple-doubles with 42 in 2016-2017.
He downplayed this record while still showing respect for Chamberlain. “I just go play the game the right way,” he said. “It’s what I do. Go out and compete every night and leave it on the floor, and whatever happens, happens. I’m very, very blessed to be able to go out and play, and I don’t take it for granted.”
Westbrook clinched the record on an assist to George for a three-pointer with 3:52 remaining in the fourth quarter.
“I thought he had it already,” George joked. “Usually, Russ has that by the first quarter. I didn’t know it was that close.”
It was Westbrook’s 23rd triple-double of the season and the 127th of his career. Most important to the Thunder, the team has a 9-1 record during his triple-double run.
“I do know the most important thing for him is to win,” Thunder Coach Billy Donovan said. “That’s what he’s about. He wants to win. I think a lot of the things he does that he gets attention for in terms of the triple-doubles are things that impact winning for our team.”
George had 12 rebounds and 10 assists for the third triple-double of his career. Rookie Deonte Burton had a career-high 18 points and Raymond Felton added a season-high 15 for the Thunder.
Damian Lillard scored 31 points and Jake Layman added 17 for Portland. The Thunder shot 56 percent in the first half to lead 68-49 at the break. George scored 21 points and Felton added 15.
HARDEN STREAK HITS 30
THERE was only a little over a minute left in Houston’s game and it looked as if James Harden’s streak of 30-point games would be ending. Harden brought the ball down the court and was enveloped by two defenders near the three-point line, so he passed to Chris Paul, who drew the defense away. After a couple of dribbles Paul turned and got it back to Harden, who stepped back and sunk a three-pointer over Dorian Finney-Smith to keep the streak alive.
Harden scored 31 points for his 30th straight 30-point game despite dealing with a shoulder injury, leading the Rockets to a 120-104 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night.
Paul was asked if he was determined to help Harden extend the streak. “For sure. He had what 28, so yeah, why not? We was up,” Paul said. Harden, who had eight rebounds and seven assists, seemed to be a bit slowed early by the strained left shoulder that he injured on Saturday against Oklahoma City, making just one of his first seven shots. But he warmed up after that and finished nine of 23, capped by his sixth three-pointer with 52.9 seconds remaining. Fans chanted “MVP! MVP!” after he sunk the shot.
Harden denied that he was concerned about getting 30 points, but he did say it was a “credit to” Paul that he got the ball back to him.
“I was worried about winning,” Harden said. “They were making their shots. They were coming back, cut the lead to I think 10 or nine points…so I just wanted to get the proper shots… I was just trying to make the right play.”
He’s now just one game from tying Wilt Chamberlain for the second-longest streak of 30-point games in NBA history. Chamberlain also holds the top 30-point game streak with 65 in a row.
Image credits: AP