Triple-king Westbrook sets NBA record as Curry sparks Warriors
OKLAHOMA City’s Russell Westbrook delivered a record-breaking night in Orlando on Wednesday. After an electrifying performance, Thunder star Westbrook was feted with loud chants of “MVP, MVP” by Orlando Magic fans.
Westbrook finished with 57 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists as the Thunder rolled to a 114-106 win in overtime at Orlando’s Amway Center.
It was Westbrook’s fourth consecutive triple-double and his 38th of an incredible season. It also set a new record as the highest-scoring tripledouble in NBA history.
The 28-year-old is now just three shy of equalling Oscar Robertson’s longstanding NBA record for tripledoubles in a single season.
The win helped the Thunder improve to 43-31, while the Magic are now at 27-48 after a second consecutive defeat.
Westbrook said his hunger to scale new heights had inspired him.
“You just got to want it more than other people,” Westbrook said. “I don’t think about getting tired. I just keep going and going. I don’t think about it. I just think about making the next play, making winning basketball plays. I’m blessed.”
The highlight of Westbrook’s masterclass was a devastating late burst of scoring which saw him net 19 points in the final six minutes of regulation time, draining a 3-pointer with seven seconds remaining to send the game into overtime.
“Russell was spectacular coming down the stretch and the way he closed the game,” Thunder coach Billy Donovan said. “Overall, it’s just incredible what he’s doing now. He played an exceptional second half again. He just has an incredible competitive spirit.”
‘On the right track’
Magic coach Frank Vogel ranked Westbrook’s display as one of the greatest in history.
“[Westbrook’s performance] was one of t he best,” Vogel said. “It’s tough to rank those over the years, but it’s right up t here wit h t he best – give him credit.”
Meanwhile in San Antonio, Ste- phen Curry and Klay Thompson led the Golden State Warriors to a magnificent come-from-behind victory over the Spurs on Wednesday
Curry and Thompson – the fabled “Splash Brothers” of the Warriors offence – combined for 52 points as the Dubs overturned a 29-7 deficit to secure a 110-98 win over their Western Conference rivals.
The win saw Golden State tighten their grip on the top seed position in the conference standings, improving to 61-14 as second-placed San Antonio slipped to 57-17.
The Warriors victory hands the Oakland franchise a psychological boost as they head into the playoffs next month, where they could ultimately face San Antonio for a place in the NBA Finals.
“We’re on t he right track,” Curr y said. “We don’t win a championship i n this game, but we understand we’re getting better as we get to t he playof fs and t hat’s rea lly t he only focus right now. We want to keep it up.”
Curry finished with 29 points, while Thompson weighed in with 23. Andre Iguodala (14) and David West (15) also posted double figure tallies for the Dubs.
Celtics lose top spot
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was blunt in his assessment of the game, describing the Warriors as the best team in the NBA.
“They played great, they all played great,” Popovich said. “They just played better. Curry, Thompson – they all made shots. That’s why they’re the best team in the league.”
In the Eastern Conference, Boston were knocked off top spot after slipping to a 103-100 win against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 22 points as the Bucks dug in for an important win.
Milwaukee, embroiled in a neckand-neck battle for fifth place in the standings, claimed their 13th win in 16 games as Boston’s six-game winning streak at home came to an end.
The defeat saw the Celtics, who had inched clear of Cleveland after t he Cavaliers lost to San Antonio on Tuesday, fa ll behind once more on percentage points.
Cleveland now lead the conference with a 47-26 record, while Boston slipped to 48-27.
Milwaukee were almost made to pay after blowing an eight-point fourth quarter lead. But Celtics point guard Marcus Smart missed a late heave on the buzzer as the Bucks held on.
“They’re really good,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. “They’ve been one of the best teams in the East over the past month and a half. I’m not surprised at their level, and their level is really high.”