Russell Westbrook Records 3rd Straight Triple-Double: Highlights and Reaction
The more Kevin Durant is out for the Oklahoma City Thunder, the more Russell Westbrook has a chance to shine. The All-Star point guard earned his third triple-double in as many games on Friday night, recording 40 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists in a 115-112 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.
According to ESPN Stats & Info, the last player to have three straight triple-doubles was LeBron James back in 2009:
Westbrook is also only the fourth player in the last 20 years to accomplish the feat, per ESPN Stats & Info:
ESPN.com's Royce Young noted that Westbrook could've easily had four triple-doubles in a row by now:
Chris Palmer highlighted just how extraordinary his last 24 hours have been:
The night wasn't all great for Westbrook, as he appeared to suffer some sort of facial injury after getting inadvertently kneed by teammate Andre Roberson, per The Cauldron:
After the game, Thunder head coach Scott Brooks told reporters that he didn't know the severity of the potential injury, per Sports Illustrated's Ben Golliver:
Over the years, plenty of pundits have bashed Westbrook's style and penchant for making questionable decisions on the court, especially with his shot selection. CBSSports.com's Zach Harper wonders if all of that can stop and whether everyone can simply enjoy what makes the 26-year-old so special:
Westbrook's critics have questioned whether he is truly a point guard and called out his perceived inability to get his teammates involved.
He didn't have any trouble finding Serge Ibaka for this nifty alley-oop in the third quarter.
Former NBA point guard Damon Stoudamire drew a parallel to Allen Iverson when describing Westbrook's game:
The Thunder star has done all of this while Durant has been out nursing a foot injury. Durant's absence has allowed Westbrook to be the team's focal point, a role that he has fully embraced. At the same time, it has also helped silence his most vocal detractors.
Westbrook was already in the MVP discussion with his play this year, and his performance over his last three games may have elevated him to the top of the list.
