Chattanooga Times Free Press

Westbrook breaks triple-double mark

- BY VICTOR MATHER NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE

Russell Westbrook tallied his 42nd triple-double Sunday night, breaking the season record set by Oscar Robertson in 1961-62 with the Cincinnati Royals. Westbrook’s 50-point, 16-rebound, 10-assist performanc­e in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s comeback win over the Denver Nuggets included a 3-pointer at the buzzer. And it capped a feat that is amazing in many ways — some obvious, some not as much.

› Going into Sunday, Westbrook was averaging 31.7 points, 10.7 rebounds and 10.4 assists per game. He will be the second player in history to average a triple-double in a season, after Robertson.

› Westbrook has more than twice as many triple-doubles this season as any other NBA player. Going into Sunday, James Harden was next with 20, followed by LeBron James with 12. (James recorded his 13th Sunday in an overtime loss.) The rest of the league combined had 38.

› No other Thunder player has a triple-double this season. Kevin Durant, now with the Golden State Warriors, had one last season with the Thunder. The last player other than Westbrook and Durant to record a triple-double for the Thunder was Serge Ibaka, in 2012. The last player for the franchise with more than one triple-double in a season was Gary Payton in 2002, when the team was the Seattle SuperSonic­s.

› Westbrook has 79 career triple-doubles, putting him fourth on the career list behind Robertson, Magic Johnson and Jason Kidd. His 42 this season would be good enough for eighth all time.

› Westbrook’s triple-double total by season since he joined the league in 2008-09: 1,1, 3, 0, 1, 2, 11, 18, 42.

› Thirteen of Westbrook’s triple-doubles this season have come in three quarters or less.

› Westbrook scored 57 points against the Orlando Magic on March 29, surpassing the record for points scored while collecting a triple-double. Scoring 50 points in a triple-double has been done five times this season: three times by Westbrook and twice by Harden. From 1976 to 2015, it was never done.

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