Russell. Westbrook.
Just when you’ve think you’ve seen it all from the dynamic point guard, he does something new and spectacular. Wednesday night in Orlando, Westbrook single-handedly won a game for the Thunder, and did it in historic fashion.
When Westbrook entered the game with just under eight minutes remaining, the Thunder trailed by 10, and looked to be heading toward a surprising loss to the Magic. But Westbrook took over, scoring 19 points during the final 7:45 of the fourth quarter, including a 3-pointer in the closing seconds to send the game to overtime.
Russ put up 19 points in the last 7:45 of the 4th pic.twitter.com/2AEEdrjgtN
— CBS Sports NBA (@CBSSportsNBA) March 30, 2017
And when the final buzzer sounded -- a 114-106 victory for OKC -- Westbrook had made history. He finished with 57 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists, setting an NBA record for most points in a triple-double.
Triple-double No. 38 of the season was a memorable one.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) March 30, 2017
Russell Westbrook scores 57 points, most in a triple-double in NBA history.
In addition, Westbrook joined James Harden, who achieved the mark earlier this season, as the only players to ever record multiple 50-point triple-doubles in a season.
Russell Westbrook joins James Harden as the only players in NBA history with multiple 50-point triple-doubles in a season. pic.twitter.com/VnAIzbhLYp
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) March 30, 2017
Thanks to the victory, the Thunder, who now sit 43-31, have clinched a playoff berth.
So, to recap, Russell Westbrook:
- Scored 19 points in the final 7:45 of the fourth quarter (Only 34 players in the league even average 19 points per game.)
- Grabbed a rebound, started his own fastbreak, and hit a game-tying 3-pointer with seven seconds remaining
- Finished with 57 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists
- Scored the most points ever in a triple-double
- Became only the second player to record multiple 50-point triple-doubles in the same season
Now that is an MVP-caliber performance.