Russell Westbrook is still scorching. After going 8-for-15 from 3-point range in his 49-point performance against the Houston Rockets on Thursday, he shot 7-for-12 from deep in the Oklahoma City Thunder's 121-106 win over the Denver Nuggets on Saturday. A few days ago, his career high for made threes was just five.
Westbrook only needed 27 minutes to record his 17th triple-double of the season, and he finished with 32 points, 17 rebounds and 11 assists. The MVP candidate had 18 triple-doubles last season.
Westbrook is still leading the league in scoring and averaging a triple-double. Greatness is expected every night and needed for the Thunder to have a chance. This sort of shooting, though, is new. Before these two explosions from behind the 3-point line, he had shot 4-for-22 in his last two games and 7-for-35 in his last six. Westbrook has never shot better than 33 percent from deep in a season, and he has also never attempted threes as regularly as he is now.
If you need any proof of his confidence in his long-range jumper, look at his seventh make against the Nuggets, which he followed with a jig:
That's Stephen Curry stuff. Westbrook had made a 3-pointer on their last offensive possession, and he decided to just let it fly. Thunder coach Billy Donovan, by the way, had no problem with it.
"When he's got it going, I want him to heat-check a little bit," Donovan said, via ESPN's Royce Young.
Westbrook is not shy, so he'll gladly follow that instruction.
