Thunder get past Nets
Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook records his 33rd triple-double of the season in the Thunder’s 122-104 win over Brooklyn.
NEW YORK — Russell Westbrook had 25 points, 19 assists and 12 rebounds in his 33rd triple-double of the season, and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Brooklyn Nets 122-104 on Tuesday night.
Westbrook shot just 6 of 18 from the field after scoring 40 or more points in five of his previous eight games, but as usual he was the dominant player on the floor even when his shot didn’t fall.
He was loudly cheered throughout the night by what appeared a full and lively crowd despite a winter storm that pounded New York on Tuesday, and the fans roared when he grabbed his 10th rebound with just under five minutes to play for the 70th triple-double of his career.
Victor Oladipo added 21 points for the Thunder, who won their third straight game. Enes Kanter had 17 points and Brooklyn native Taj Gibson finished with 17 points and eight rebounds.
Brook Lopez scored 25 points and Jeremy Lin had 24 for the Nets, who failed in their attempt to win consecutive games for the first time this season.
Coming off victories over division leaders San Antonio and Utah, the Thunder took a little while to warm up on a snowy day. The teams were tied at 32 after one quarter and 62 at halftime, but the Thunder limited the Nets to 5-of-17 shooting in the third quarter to open a 91-83 lead.
Kanter then dominated the early minutes of the fourth as Oklahoma City pushed its lead into double digits.
Westbrook already had nine points and eight assists after one quarter and was two-thirds of the way to a triple-double by halftime, but he had only seven rebounds as the Nets’ 57.5 percent shooting didn’t leave many rebounding opportunities.