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A triple-double is a basketball statistic for a player who reaches double digits in a single game in three of the five major stats - points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. The most common way to score a triple-double is by achieving the trio of points, rebounds, and assists.
Russell Westbrook is known for his freakish speed and athleticism. He is widely recognized as one of the best all-round players in the league. Westbrook is second on the list of most triple-doubles made with 138 of the same.
An 8-time NBA All-Star, Russell holds the record for most triple-doubles in a season with 42 and is the only player to average a triple double for three consecutive seasons. Apart from Westbrook, Oscar Robertson is the only other player to average a triple-double for a season.
In this presentation we will take a look at five of the highest scoring triple doubles by the former OKC and the new Houston Rockets star Russell Westbrook.
#5 OKC vs 76ers, 4 March 2015: 49-point triple double
The Oklahoma City Thunder were facing the Philadelphia 76ers in a regular season game. Westbrook wore a facial protection mask after having a fractured bone in his right cheek while playing against Portland.
Westbrook set career highs with 49 points,15 rebounds and 10 assists for his fourth consecutive triple-double as the Thunder defeated 76ers 123-118 in overtime. It was the most points by any player with a triple-double since Larry Bird scored 49 in 1992.
The 76ers led 59-56 at halftime, by the fourth quarter this game was evenly contested and went to overtime. Westbrook scored 10 points in OT and secured the win for his team. He played 42 minutes and shot 16 of 33 from the field. He also contributed to defense making 3 steals and one block.
On making his sixth triple-double of the season, he said, "It was OK, it was weird. Had to keep wiping it. It was a total big process of trying to keep everything from fogging up. That's not going to stop me. My job is to come out and trying to lead my team."
#4 OKC vs Nuggets, 9 April 2017: 50-point triple double
Russell Westbrook recorded his 42nd triple-double of the season in the final quarter of the Thunder’s matchup against the Denver Nuggets. With 4:18 left on the clock, Westbrook assisted Semaj Christon for a three-point jumper. He broke Oscar Robertson's record for most triple-doubles in a season.
Westbrook finished with 50 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists. Oklahoma were trailing for most of the game but it all changed when Russell scored the game's final eight points, including a last-second buzzer-beating three-pointer (36-foot) to destroy the Nuggets 106-105 (eliminating the Nuggets from the playoff contention). He shot 17 of 32 from the field including 5 three-pointers.
Russell said the last-second shot was not lucky as he kept practicing every day, "I practice that shot everyday pregame, same spot. And, usually the same result. So, I definitely feel confident in shooting that shot." He was awarded the NBA’s Game-Winner of the Year at the NBA Awards show for that shot.
#3 OKC vs Suns, 28 October 2016: 51-point triple double
Oklahoma City’s first home game of the season was against the Phoenix Suns. Superstar Kevin Durant left the team in the summer for the Golden State Warriors and it was time for Westbrook to establish himself as the top guy of the team.
The Suns led by 15 points at the end of the first quarter. Westbrook's offense saw the lead cut to only four points by the end of the first half. The scores were tied at 102 by the end of last quarter and the game went to overtime. OKC won the game 113-110.
Westbrook scored 51 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists. He shot 17 of 44 from the field and made 15 of 20 free throws, playing a total of 45 minutes. Russell said, "When you want to win, you don't think about being tired. To me, being tired is a mind thing. It's in your mind. You've got to go out there and compete at a high level and leave it on the floor."
#2 OKC vs Rockets, 19 April 2017: 51-point triple double
Russell Westbrook recorded 51 points, 10 rebounds, 13 assists, 4 steals and a block in the highest-scoring triple-double in playoff history. Westbrook made 42 triple-doubles in the regular season and this was his sixth in the postseason.
Thunder started the game well and took a lead in the first three quarters. The score was tied 104-104 before Houston scored 10 straight points James Harden's decent performance in the fourth quarter saw Houston defeat the OKC Thunder with a score of 115-111. Westbrook shot made 17 of his 43 attempts with a poor field goal percentage of .395. However, he drew a lot of fouls and made 15 free throws from 18 tries.
#1 OKC vs Magic, 19 March 2017: 57-point triple double
Westbrook scored 57 points, made 13 rebounds and 11 assists. It was a thunderous performance as Oklahoma City defeated the Orlando Magic 114-106 in an overtime victory.
Orlando took a huge lead by the end of the third quarter and the Thunder were trailing by 14 points midway through the fourth quarter, but Westbrook took over, scoring 19 points in the final 6 minutes. The score was even at the end of the last quarter and the game went to overtime. Westbrook contributed seven more points in added time as his team won.
Westbrook led the Thunder to their then-largest comeback win in team history, as he recorded his 38th triple-double of the season. He also set the all-time NBA record for most points scored in a triple double before Houston Rockets superstar James Harden broke it on January 30, 2018. Westbrook had a great season and he was named the Most Valuable Player on June 26, 2017.
Averaging a triple-double for a season
Russell Westbrook revolutionalized the triple-double stat line after his 2016-17 MVP season, where he would average a triple-double for an entire season. Since then, we have seen the triple-double occur more frequently across the league, but it has been a while since anyone has managed to average it for a whole season.
After winning the MVP in 2016-17 for averaging a triple-double, Westbrook would do the same for the next two years in Oklahoma City. The last time Russell averaged a triple-double for the entirety of a season was in the 2020-21 NBA season with the Washington Wizards.
In the 65 games he suited up for the Wizards, Westbrook averaged 22.2 points, 11.7 assists, and 11.5 rebounds on 43.9% shooting.
Guess the Lakers players!
