WESTBROOK ECLIPSES CHAMBERLAIN
Oklahoma star moves into second for most triple doubles
WASHINGTON
OKLAHOMA City’s Russell Westbrook moved past Wilt Chamberlain for the second-most triple doubles in an NBA season on Saturday in the Thunder’s 112104 win over visiting Utah.
Westbrook collected his 32nd triple double of the 2016-17 campaign with 33 points, 11 rebounds and 14 assists — his third triple double against the Jazz this season.
That’s the most NBA games with double-digit totals in three or more statistical categories in more than half a century.
To match the NBA record, Westbrook has 16 games remaining this season to manage nine more triple-doubles and equal the all-time mark of 41 set by Oscar Robertson in the 1961-62 campaign.
That season by Robertson, known as “The Big O” in his heyday, was also the only campaign when an NBA player averaged a triple double over an entire season.
Robertson averaged 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 11.4 assists a game over 79 contests in the 1961-62 season.
Westbrook leads the NBA with 31.9 points a game this season, ranks 12th with an average of 10.5 rebounds and ranks third in assists with 10.1 a game over 66 appearances for the Thunder (37-29).
Meanwhile, Patty Mills had 21 points as the San Antonio Spurs rolled to a 107-85 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night in a game short on star power to pull within a half-game of the NBA’s top record.
The big showdown between the league's top two teams turned into a huge letdown with both teams missing their star players.
Already without Kevin Durant due to a knee injury, Golden State opted to rest Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala.
Key forward LaMarcus Aldridge of the San Antonio Spurs is out indefinitely because of a minor heart arrhythmia, the team announced on Saturday.
In Miami, Dion Waiters scored 20 points, Tyler Johnson added 16 and the Miami Heat beat the Toronto Raptors 104-89 on Saturday, improving to 21-4 over their last 25 games.
Goran Dragic scored 15 and Hassan Whiteside added 12 points and 14 rebounds for Miami.
Dragic played only 41 seconds in the second half, leaving after taking an elbow from Toronto’s Cory Joseph. Dragic eventually returned to the bench with an icepack over his right eye, which appeared to be swollen nearly shut.
Miami made 11 3-pointers. It has won 17 consecutive games when making at least 10 from beyond the arc.
“You better respect them because they’re here to stay,” Raptors coach
Dwane Casey said.
RESULTS — San Antonio 107 Golden State 85, Milwaukee 102 Minnesota 95, Miami 104 Toronto 89, Charlotte 122 New Orleans 125 (OT), Orlando 104 Cleveland 116, Detroit 112 NY Knicks 92, LA Clippers 112 Philadelphia 100, Oklahoma 112 Utah 104.