Fair to say that Russell Westbrook is adjusting to life without Kevin Durant by his side pretty goddamned handily.
The Oklahoma City Thunder point guard today casually posted yet another triple-double during OKC’s 112-103 win over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
That’d be his third in a row.
That’d also be his eighth for the season.
That’d be the same amount that literally the rest of the league has only been able to combine for so far this year.
Westbrook blew straight through the Knicks defence, often cutting them to ribbons and making them look silly, en route to posting stats of 27 points with 18 rebounds (EIGHTEEN REBOUNDS AND HE’S SIX FOOT SODDING THREE, IF YOU DON’T MIND) and 14 assists.
It took him just under 20 minutes to post the trip-dub today, the second fastest in his career. Only one person in the history of the game has been able to post a triple-double quicker, (Jim Tucker of the Syracuse Nationals) and it happened way back in 1955.
Westbrook’s effort today brings his season stats up to mind-boggling numbers. 19 games into the season, he’s averaging 30.9 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 11.3 assists per game. PER GAME.
In the modern NBA, that’s utterly ridiculous. Averaging those kind of numbers this deep into the season is a feat that’s only ever been done by one man before, Oscar Robinson, and hasn’t been accomplished since 1963-64.
Most Games Into Season Avg Triple-Double
1961-62 Oscar Robertson 79
1963-64 Oscar Robertson67
2016-17 Russell Westbrook 19
via @EliasSports— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 29, 2016
With one game remaining in November (a home game against Washington on Thursday AUS time), Westbrook needs to put up a mere 4 rebounds in order to become only the second player in NBA history to enter the month of December averaging a triple-double.
If he stays healthy and keeps putting up numbers that are maybe even 75% of what he’s done so far this season, you’d say that MVP trophy is as good as his.
The team as a whole might be feeling the effects of KD’s exit, but if it’s gotten to Russell then he sure as shit isn’t showing it.
With his latest triple-double, Russell Westbrook is now averaging a triple-double on the season. #NBAGIF pic.twitter.com/sGmUw0zNO8
— NBA (@NBA) November 29, 2016
Hot damn.
Source: ESPN.
Photo: Michael Reaves/Getty.
