Russell Westbrook Shouldn't Hide Triple-Double Quest Despite Controversy

Russell Westbrook is on a roll. The point guard is almost single-handedly willing the Oklahoma City Thunder into a playoff position while Kevin Durant recovers from a foot injury. He shouldn't be afraid to celebrate his individual accomplishments as long as the team is winning.

A minor controversy erupted after Friday night's game—a 14-point victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves for OKC—because it appeared he lobbied for an extra rebound. The rebound was eventually awarded, giving him his sixth triple-double in the past eight contests.

Royce Young of ESPN.com notes Westbrook was seen nodding toward the scorer's table after being taken out to ask whether a tip late in the fourth quarter counted. When pressed after the game about the apparent lobbying, he was a man of few words.

"Uhh, no," Westbrook said. "No," he replied when asked again.

Unfortunately for the MVP candidate, his response probably helped fan the flames of the brief firestorm that followed. By not explaining his actions and instead giving short answers, Westbrook at least gave off the appearance that he was trying to hide the truth.

Instead, Westbrook should have said he was just wondering why he wasn't awarded a rebound for the putback attempt.

He was probably concerned that the focus would then shift toward his being worried about individual numbers rather than winning games. In reality, it's perfectly acceptable to strive for both types of success.

It's not one or the other.

After all, who wouldn't want to join the star-studded group highlighted by the NBA on ESPN?

Was the extra rebound a borderline call? Sure. Brett Pollakoff of Pro Basketball Talk—who labeled it "suspect"—points out that the NBA rulebook states this: "A tap during a jump ball or rebound is not considered a field-goal attempt."

So the league could review the play, take away the rebound and thus take away the triple-double. But that doesn't mean Westbrook shouldn't have fought for it—or that he should be ridiculed because he did.

It's not like he intentionally missed a shot just so he could grab the rebound, something memorably witnessed in the past with Bob Sura and Ricky Davis. He made a legitimate basketball play.

All told, the controversy should pass soon.

Perhaps it will return for a brief moment if the NBA takes the accomplishment away. But there are more important things to focus on when it comes to the Thunder as they sit tied for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Westbrook is the main reason they find themselves in that position. He shouldn't shy away from celebrating his terrific run of success—even if some people aren't happy he's fighting for an extra rebound he thought he had earned.