Russell Westbrook vs. Lakers: Stats, Highlights and Reaction
The Oklahoma City Thunder almost certainly won't win a title in 2016-17, but at least Russell Westbrook will entertain fans as he attempts to scorch the NBA landscape.
Westbrook had his second straight triple-double in a 113-96 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night, scoring 33 points, grabbing 12 rebounds and dishing out 16 assists. According to ESPN.com's Royce Young, Westbrook is only the fourth player in league history with two triple-doubles in his first three games, joining Magic Johnson, Jerry Lucas and Oscar Robertson.
For the season, Westbrook has 116 points, 37 rebounds and 35 assists, which also puts him in elite company, according to ESPN Stats & Info:
ESPN.com's Marc Stein noted the crazy pace Westbrook is setting for himself:
He shared his thoughts with Fox Sports Oklahoma's Nick Gallo after the game, courtesy of the Thunder's Twitter account:
"Russ on after the win. pic.twitter.com/NV5RgN4K8d
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) October 31, 2016"
The five-time All-Star had a strong shooting night, going 11-of-21 from the field, including 5-of-6 from beyond the arc.
Lakers guard Nick Young explained what made defending Westbrook so hard Sunday, per the Norman Transcript's Fred Katz: "Just the nonstop, one-man fast break. He is constantly on the go, constantly moving."
When Kevin Durant signed with the Golden State Warriors, most NBA fans were excited to see what Westbrook would do in response. The Thunder star is one of the most dynamic scorers in the game, and with Durant gone, he's the unquestioned No. 1 option in Oklahoma City now.
Robertson is the only NBA player to average a triple-double over the course of the season, a feat he accomplished in 1961-62 with 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 11.4 assists per game.
If Westbrook can't bring a championship to the Thunder this season, at least he can potentially make history another way.
