OKC’s Westbrook in rare territory with fifth straight triple-double
LOS ANGELES — Russell Westbrook became the first player since Michael Jordan in 1989 to notch five straight triple-doubles in the NBA, his latest on Sunday powering Oklahoma City to a 10192 victory over the Pelicans in New Orleans.
Westbrook scored 28 points, pulled down 17 rebounds and handed out 12 assists for his 10th triple-double of the season and his fifth in a row.
His streak is the longest since Jordan posted seven straight in 1989.
“In my opinion, he’s the best athlete in the NBA,” Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said of Russell as his team prepared to take on the Thunder star. “It’s fun watching him play against everybody else.”
It wasn’t as much fun being on the receiving end.
Thunder center Enes Kanter recorded 17 points and 10 rebounds. Victor Oladipo added 15 points for Oklahoma City, who withstood 37 points and 15 rebounds from Pelicans star Anthony Davis.
Rookie Buddy Hield broke out of a slump with 16 points, all in the second half, for the Pelicans, who trailed by as many as 15 but cut the lead to seven points with three minutes remaining.
Davis had a chance to trim the deficit to five, but he missed back-to-back shots on the same possession.
Westbrook then produced a fastbreak finger roll to stretch the edge back to 93-84 with 2:39 to play.
An Oladipo free throw and two three- pointers from Hield pulled New Orleans within 94-90. But they would get no closer and Westbrook’s three-pointer in the final minute put the game away.
KNICKS VS KINGS
In New York, Derrick Rose and Carmelo Anthony scored 20 points apiece to lead the Knicks to a 106-98 victory over the Sacramento Kings.
It was the third time in four games that Rose scored 20 points. Brandon Jennings added a season-high 19 points and Kristaps Porzingis chipped in 15 points, 14 rebounds and four blocked shots for the Knicks, who handed Sacramento their third straight defeat. —