Westbrook can reach more triple-double history
Russell Westbrook is leading the NBA in triple-doubles and has a shot of matching his single-season tripledouble record of 42.
Westbrook would need 18 triple-doubles in the final 25 games of the season to match his record from the 2016-17 season. He's currently at a league-best 24 triple-doubles, 12 more than Denver's Nikola Jokic.
Even if he doesn't get back to 42, Westbrook will end the season in rarefied air. With two more tripledoubles, he will have two of the top five seasons in NBA history in terms of total triple-doubles. Most triple-doubles in
a season: 1. Westbrook, 2016-17, 42; 2. Oscar Robertson, 1961-62, 41; 3.
Wilt Chamberlain, 1967-68, 31; Tie-4 Robertson, 196364 and 1960-61, 26; 6. Westbrook, 2018-19, 24
“I think it's crazy if anybody's devaluing that,” Thunder coach Billy Donovan said of Westbrook's tripledoubles after a win against Orlando on Feb 5. “He impacts our team in so many different ways, whether it's the defensive rebounding, whether it's starting the break.
“The shots he's generating for our team … I never really look at the point part of it, but there's no question the assists and the rebounding impact and affect our team in a very positive way.”
Westbrook's streak of consecutive triple-doubles has also reached an unprecedented 11 consecutive games, which he has a chance to extend to 12 against Utah on Friday. The Thunder is 9-2 in those games.
Dunk you very much
Paul George is having the best season of his career. An undersold part of that has been his health.
This past offseason, George had a procedure to drain a bursa sac in his right forearm which was holding what he estimated was 18 to 20 ounces of fluid. He also had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on May 9, 2018.
If his 360 dunk in the All-Star Game wasn't an indication that George is feeling good, check his numbers this season. He's up to 36 dunks in 56 games. George had 38 dunks total last season.
George is primed to finish with his most dunks in a season since breaking his right leg in the summer of 2014.
Because of injury and age, the 28-year-old may never get back the athleticism of his early 20s. But George is in his best condition in years.
"Since then, I've had so many injuries come up just because of the leg injury," George said Sunday in Charlotte. "So it was tough, it was tough getting to this point where I am now.
"But I learned a lot. I just learned a lot about myself, (it) taught me a lot of character, a lot of mental toughness, and I think just the experience being away from the game for a year, getting to see what was going on and what I was coming back to, it was a learning lesson."
Patterson gets engaged
Looks like Patrick Patterson is having a great All-Star break.
The Thunder forward announced his engagement to his girlfriend Sarah Nassar via his Instagram page on Tuesday.
In the post, Patterson, a proud cinephile, quoted a Billy Crystal line from the late-80s romantic comedy "When Harry Met Sally."
"When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible," Patterson quoted before adding ".. I cannot wait to call you my wife."