Russell Westbrook achieves sixth straight triple double on the season
By admin - 2016-12-07 21:19:45

Russell Westbrook achieved his sixth straight triple double in a 102-99 victory Monday night.

Westbrook tallied 32 points on 10-22 shooting from the field, grabbed 13 rebounds and added 12 assists as he and his Oklahoma City Thunder teammates put away the Atlanta Hawks in a tight game. The six straight triple doubles from Westbrook trails only Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan. Jordan most recently had a run of seven straight triple doubles in 1989, but achieved only a total of 15 triple doubles during the entire 1988-89 NBA season. Through 22 games, Westbrook already has 11 triple doubles. The Thunder have won all six games during the Westbrook streak.

“I just read the game,” said Westbrook when asked how he manages his numbers while also getting wins for his ball club. “The game will tell you what to do.”

“Obviously, the league hasn’t seen something like this in a long, long time,” said Thunder coach Billy Donovan.

Despite the 12 assists from Westbrook, no other Thunder player scored 20 points in the game. Still, with the whole Atlanta defense keying on Westbrook, he somehow found a way to shoot close to 50 percent from the field.

“He can do so many different things,” said Thabo Sefolosha, a defensive stalwart who could not find any joy on the night when in front of former teammate, Westbrook. “It’s definitely mind-blowing. And the way he does it. He’s everywhere.”

The Hawks have lost 10 of their last 11 games and seven straight. It is the longest losing streak since they lost eight in a row in 2014.