Russell Westbrook records triple double in under 18 minutes vs. Lakers
Get all of Rohan Nadkarni’s columns as soon as they’re published. Download the new Sports Illustrated app (iOS or Android) and personalize your experience by following your favorite teams and SI writers.
During Kobe Bryant’s last game in Oklahoma City, it was Thunder guard Russell Westbrook who stole the show.
Westbrook, OKC’s dynamo point guard, recorded a triple double in just 18 minutes against the Lakers on Monday. Eighteen! (Technically, it took 17 minutes and 35 seconds, per ESPN’s Royce Young.)
The triple double was just the latest feat for Westbrook, who certainly has a method to his madness on the court. Westbrook’s 18-minute, 11–10–10 was good for his 18th triple double of the season—tied with some guy named Magic Johnson for the most since the merger—and is the second-fastest triple double in NBA history.
• WOO: Power Rankings | NADKARNI: Week in Review
It was Westbrook’s fifth triple double of the season that took fewer than 30 minutes, according to Young. The rest of the NBA has only one in that short of a time span.
Triple doubles are becoming commonplace for Westbrook. This is the second straight season the former UCLA star has averaged a triple double per 100 possessions.
Westbrook entered Monday averaging 23.6 points, 10.4 assists and 7.8 rebounds per game.
