Suns end 13-game skid; Thunder’s Westbrook claims 1 milestone
Before Friday’s contest, Suns coach Earl Watson was asked for his approach against Russell Westbrook, an Oklahoma City guard chasing history. “Go after him,’’ Watson said simply.
And so the Suns did. With Westbrook eyeing history, the Suns pulled off a surprise, containing the MVP candidate and knocking off the Thunder 120-99 in front of a lively crowd at Talking Stick Resort Arena.
The Suns – holding out key parts since the All-Star break – snapped a 13game losing streak, winning for the first time since March 11. With two games to play, they improved to 23-57.
Westbrook recorded eight assists, ensuring that he will become the second player in NBA history to average a triple-double over an entire season. But he fell short of breaking Oscar Robertson’s record of 41 triple-doubles in a season. Oklahoma City has three more regular-season contests.
Westbrook was cold to start and never warmed up, shooting 6 of 25 from the field. He still managed to flirt with a triple-double, finishing with 23 points and 12 rebounds, showing he still can put up numbers even on an off night. He checked out with 2:34 left.
In the final minutes, the Phoenix crowd, wanting to see history, started cheering for every Oklahoma City player to shoot once Westbrook passed him the ball. They booed when 7-footer Steven Adams passed up a 3-pointer, even though Adams never has made a 3 in his four-year career.
They also booed when Phoenix’s Devin Booker kept the ball on the wing, dribbling out the shot clock. During the final seconds, Booker drilled a stepback 3, then turned to remind the crowd, “This is my house!”
Booker finished with 37 points, 21 coming in the fourth quarter. He shot 13 of 29 from the field, making 5 of 9 from 3-point range. Forward T.J. Warren added 23 points and 16 rebounds. Center Alex Len chipped in nine points and 10 rebounds.
Westbrook entered the contest needing six assists to cement his season triple-double average. He had three in the first half, then opened the third quarter with three in 90 seconds, giving him six and a slice of history, joining Oscar Robertson as the only players in NBA history to average a triple-double.