Westbrook triple-double electrifies Thunder
Defence set the tone for us, reigning MVP says after leading rout of Bulls
Russell Westbrook completed his collection with a triple-double on Saturday against the Chicago Bulls, the only NBA team who had denied the Oklahoma City star the statistical feat.
Westbrook, the reigning NBA Most Valuable Player, scored 12 points with 13 rebounds and 13 assists in Oklahoma City’s 10169 rout of the Bulls.
He’s the first player to post a triple-double — notching double digits in three statistical categories — against all 29 opposing teams in the NBA.
It was his third triple-double of the young season, and he needed just 28 minutes on court to achieve it.
Carmelo Anthony and Paul George, new arrivals in Oklahoma City this season, combined to drain nine threepointers, Anthony scoring 21 points and George 20.
The Thunder held the Bulls to an anaemic 28.2 per cent shooting. “[Defence] just set the tone,” Westbrook said.
Friday’s defeat to the Minnesota Timberwolves, followed by a worrisome flight from Minneapolis to Chicago that left their charter plane damaged, didn’t appear to affect the Thunder on court. They opened the game on a 15-3 scoring run, and led 50-31 at halftime.
Westbrook had two steals as part of a solid defensive effort that forced 19 Bulls turnovers.
“Honestly, my main thing coming into this year was finding ways to impact the game defensively the way I know I can,” Westbrook said. “For me, that’s part of my job ... to be that player who is able to do that on a night in, night out basis.”
In New Orleans, DeMarcus Cousins notched a triple-double and Anthony Davis returned
Saturday’s matches
New Orleans Boston Memphis Oklahoma City Philadelphia Utah Portland Detroit 123 96 103 101 112 96 114 95 Cleveland Miami Houston Chicago Dallas L.A.Lakers Phoenix LAClippers 101 90 89 69 110 81 107 87
from injury to score 30 points as the Pelicans downed the Cleveland Cavaliers 123-101.
Cousins poured in 29 points with 12 rebounds and 10 assists for his first triple-double since arriving in New Orleans. Davis, who missed the previous game against Sacramento Kings with a knee injury, pulled down 14 rebounds to go with his 30 points.
Cavs superstar LeBron James added 18 points, five rebounds and eight assists — and insisted there was no cause for last season’s Eastern Conference champions to panic as they fell to 3-3. “I understand it’s a long process for us. We’ve played some crazy line-ups that we haven’t even played in practice. We’ll continue to get better,” he said.