If it’s starting to feel like we’re living in some alternate version of reality in which Russell Westbrook has unlocked the universe’s secret cheat code for real-life basketball dominance, that’s because we are. To put it another way, Westbrook just wracked up his 10th triple double of the season in a win against the Miami Heat with yet another stupefying stat line: 12 points, 17 assists, 10 rebounds, four steals, and two blocks in just 33 minutes of action.
Once again, he struggled shooting the ball today (5-for-16 from the floor and 1-for-4 from three), and he turned it over six times, but his all-around play – and a little help from Enes Kanter (27 points, 12 boards) – were more than enough to down the Heat 93-75 in what ended up being a relatively low-scoring game.
Prior to today, Westbrook’s string of nine triple doubles in his last 30 games put him in unique company. But more important, the win puts OKC 2 1/2 games over the Pelicans for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference, which is a necessary (if not temporary) cushion that they’ll need given that the Thunder have been cursed by injuries as of late to Kevin Durant and Serge Ibaka.
Westbrook was in Wrath-of-Achilles mode early on with this monster block on Goran Dragic’s layup attempt.
The Thunder have now won three-in-row, and they face back-to-back games this week against the Lakers at home and the Spurs in San Antonio before heading off to another set of back-to-backs on the road next weekend against the Jazz and Suns.
