Westbrook ties triple-double mark with win over Pacers
Russell Westbrook’s triple-double tear continued Saturday with a recordtying night.
Westbrook had 33 points, 19 rebounds and 15 assists Saturday to tie Oscar Robertson’s longstanding NBA record with his 181st career triple-double in the Washington Wizards’ 133-132 overtime victory against the Indiana Pacers.
“I take a lot of pride in doing everything to impact winning as much as I can and leave it on the floor,” Westbrook said. “To be in the conversation with Oscar, I want to thank him because he set the stage and sacrificed a lot of things for us to be able to go out and play. The times he played in and the things he was able to do back in the day has allowed me to be able to do the things I want to do today. I am just grateful for him, his words and appreciative of his support as well.”
Westbrook secured the record-tying triple-double late in the third quarter, but he saved his biggest plays for the close of overtime when the Wizards needed them. And his very biggest came on the defensive end of the floor.
With Bradley Beal sitting out overtime with a hamstring injury, Westbrook scored or assisted on all nine of the Wizards’ points in the extra period.
Trailing 130-126, Westbrook found Davis Bertans for a 3, then hit a driving layup to put Washington ahead one. After Edmond Sumner put Indiana back up with a bucket, Westbrook drew a foul and hit two free throws to put the Wizards up 133-132 with one second left.
Caris LeVert got a good look at a potential game-winning 3. However, Westbrook jumped out to block the shot and secure the victory. Westbrook grabbed the game ball as a keepsake and let out a roar after the win.
“Every time I step on the floor, I try to leave everything on the floor,” Westbrook said. “And when I’m all done, I can look back and no one can say I didn’t compete at the highest level or that I cheated the game.”
Beal poured in 50 points, but he was injured in the third quarter. He drove along the baseline for a layup, then immediately limped off the floor to the locker room. He returned later in the quarter and played most of the rest of regulation before leaving again late in the fourth. He missed the Wizards’ final possession and all of overtime.
Domantas Sabonis, a former teammate of Westbrook’s on the Oklahoma City Thunder, had a triple-double of his own for the Pacers with 30 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists. LeVert had 35 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists.
Westbrook got his 10th assist late in the third quarter to secure the recordtying triple-double. He set up Beal for a floater in the lane for the dime and the milestone.
Westbrook now has 35 triple-doubles on the season, but he’s been on a real tear in the last two months. The triple-double Saturday was his 25th in the last 32 games.
Robertson’s record has stood for nearly half a century after the Hall of Famer retired in 1974. Robertson was the first player in league history to average a triple-double for an entire season in 1961-62 and remained the only one until Westbrook accomplished the feat in 2016-17. Earlier this week, Westbrook secured a season-long triple-double average for the fourth time in the last five years. He entered Saturday’s game averaging 22.0 points, 11.6 rebounds and a league-leading 11.5 assists.
“I love his spirit, his determination,” said Wizards coach Scott Brooks. “He’s really, really helped us become a better team and that’s vintage, you know — rebound, making a clutch shot, blocking a shot. Those are all great things and those are all team things. That’s what Russell’s about, he’s always been that way.”