Russell Westbrook

Westbrook First To Notch Perfect Triple-double

... "He's surveying what's going on and what our team needs.". Mr. Perfect. Russell Westbrook became the first player to be perfect from both the field and the free throw line while notching a triple-double. In the third quarter, Westbrook actively turned down a couple of open looks from 3 to work the ball into the post. "Just making sure I'm on balance before I shoot," he said of the somewhat unusual shot discipline. "Sometimes I rush 'em, but trying to prepare myself and make sure I'm taking on-balance shots.". The 76 ers struggled containing Westbrook in transition, where he would rebound misses and instantly turn them into fast-break opportunities for the Thunder. Of his career 72 triple-doubles, five have come against the Sixers, the most he has had against any one team. "It's not a one-person job [to guard him]. It's an entire team," Sixers guard T. J. Mc Connell said. "We just have to clog his driving lanes, and he's going to get his. He averages a triple-double, for ...

Bench Harden, Russ And Lebron For The Fantasy Finals

... it safely? If I am only worried about a wildly off-kilter one-game performance? I'm checking season-long performance at the door and sitting my high-volume, low-efficiency stars. And because these players have displayed a tendency towards streakiness, it's also important to pay attention to recent performance. Which players are lurching down the stretch between productive and numerically disquieting. Right off the top, here are some high-volume players I'd consider benching: Paul George , Devin Booker , and Marc Gasol. Yes, the same Devin Booker who went for 70 against the Celtics. The one who scored 121 points over three games before sitting with an ankle injury against the Hawks. Just remember that in the four games prior to his 21-of-40 night against Boston, Booker shot a combined 22-of-81. As in 27 percent. For a player who leads the Suns in shot attempts nearly every time he steps on the floor. How about some even bigger names? I'd consider sitting Chris ...

James Harden, Russell Westbrook Showdown Doesn't Provide Mvp Clarity

... but Sunday's game got out of hand early. The Rockets led by as many as 25, shooting 63.3 percent from floor and hitting 20-of-39 from 3. In the four matchups, Harden is averaging 20.5 points on 34.3 percent shooting, 7.3 rebounds, 12.3 assists and 6.3 turnovers. Westbrook is averaging 36.3 points on 44.7 percent shooting, 9.0 rebounds, 9.3 assists and 6.0 turnovers. The Rockets are 3-1 against the Thunder. The MVP is shrouded in ambiguity for a reason. It makes for great conversation and discussion, but it also makes for plenty of confusion as to what matters. Some point to Sunday's game and declare it's clear Harden has better teammates, and Westbrook is carrying a lesser team. Others, like many Rockets players postgame, would say Harden is the straw that stirs the drink and makes all his teammates better, while Westbrook's individual magnetism can stifle his team. "Over here at the Houston Rockets," ...

Unbelievable' Competitive Drive Keeps Russell Westbrook Trucking

... competitive drive keeps Russell Westbrook trucking. Plus, telltale signs for Carmelo Anthony in New York, big praise for Malcolm Brogdon and more. __link__ Staff. Mar 30, 2017 9:57 AM ET. Russell Westbrook sets an NBA record with a 57-point triple-double against the Thunder. No. 1:  Westbrook works magic on Magic  - How does one man bring his team back from 22 points down in the second quarter and out of a 14-point hole with just over six minutes left in regulation time? Well, you start by ringing up the highest-scoring triple-double in NBA history. But in clinching a playoff berth for the Thunder, Russell Westbrook also told Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman he just wants it more than everybody else. “You just got to want it more than other people,” Westbrook said after the game. “I think for me, every ...

Westbrook Can Finally Be Westbrook, And He Has Durant To Thank For It

... there was more to Durant's game, and Westbrook was holding it back. But now, on March 20, Westbrook has a 97 percent chance to be the first player to average a triple-double since 1961-62. He leads a Durant-less Thunder team that has a shot at home-court advantage in the opening round of the playoffs. And it seems reasonable to wonder: Maybe it was always the other way around. It is something Rachel Nichols articulated a month ago , the idea Durant actually left right on time to enable Westbrook to discover his true potential, and the "personal legacy" he's constructing in his prime. (Quick: Without Googling, who won the NBA title in 1962? Maybe you know, maybe you don't. But you do know that Oscar Robertson averaged a triple-double that year.). Nathaniel S. Butler/Getty Images. Case in point: Crunch time in OKC was about Durant, and finding a way to get the ball to him in his spots, mostly in isolation, and let one of the greatest shot-makers ever make a shot. Westbrook was often reduced to nothing more than a game manager, on the floor to bring the ball up, initiate a set and then get out of the way. This ...

James Harden Vs. Russell Westbrook

... There’s both the tiresome matter of optics and very real win/loss considerations. For all his willingness to involve teammates, Westbrook is his team’s alpha and omega. He defines them so thoroughly that imagining another player in his place is nothing but garble. At least compared to Harden, Westbrook—through no fault of his own—comes off as somewhat haphazard. Harden, while equally integral to the Rockets, can at least be viewed as participating in something larger than himself. Westbrook is impossible to ignore; Harden plays in such a way that it sometimes appears that the system is running itself. And then there’s the matter of team success. The Thunder will likely head into the postseason as the sixth seed in the West; the Rockets have an outside shot at a championship. Westbrook has far less talent to work with and almost certainly maximizes the effectiveness of those around them. Harden’s doesn’t just get the most of his teammates. He uses them to bring to life a thoroughly evolved version of the game. But what Russell Westbrook has done this season goes beyond mere stats. We’re saying an absolutely ...

Russell Westbrook Scores Most Points Ever In Triple-double, 57

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Can Russell Westbrook Catch The Big O

... Thunder’s start? – The Thunder had its best seven-game start in franchise history. What should we make of it? Brett Dawson, Darnell Mayberry and Erik Horne discuss, plus more on Jerami Grant’s arrival, the problem with hypothetical trades and the Durant-Westbrook Saga. Thunder Buddies – The KD-Westbrook saga continues – Old friend Anthony Slater joins the Thunder Buddies in advance of the first of four Thunder-Warriors meetings to break down Kevin Durant’s recent comments about Russell Westbrook and the Thunder. Thunder Buddies - Bold predictions for the 2016-17 season - The regular season starts Oct. 26 in Philadelphia. From Steven Adams’ rebounding to potential trades, Erik Horne and Brett Dawson give some bold Thunder predictions and debate how likely they are to happen. Thunder Buddies - The Mid-Preseason Awards - Erik Horne and Brett Dawson invite Oklahoma City salary cap guru and basketball writer Jon Hamm to the podcast to talk Thunder preseason, including who’s impressed through three games. Thunder Buddies - ...

Russell Westbrook Is The Only Real Nba Mvp Choice

... and preserve himself by lessening his burden of carrying the team, but he would be purposely putting the Thunder in a vulnerable position. For someone who wants to win every game, that is not an option, not even in overtime during his third game in four days. Westbrook does not have empty triple-doubles, he has “I will drag us as far as I can” triple-doubles. This effort against the Magic makes the swipe that the Rockets took at his season seem even sillier. — Houston Rockets (@Houston Rockets) March 26, 2017. There is nothing bad that can be said about James Harden , and there’s no need to admonish him in favor of Westbrook. He is having a fantastic season of his own, and if he wins MVP, he would deserve it. Harden has done wonders for the Rockets while raising his play to incredible and unforeseen levels. Anyone who besmirches someone to praise another lacks a strong argument, and is probably just a hater. But we’ve gotten to a point in the MVP argument where Westbrook is disregarded because he’s not as efficient as Harden, because he’s not the playmaker in a Mike D'Antoni offense , because of a small percentage ...

Things Get Chilly For Mavericks At Home As Russell Westbrook Orchestrates Furious Thunder Comeback

... never put ourselves in that position.”. Down the stretch, Westbrook hit just about everything he shot. His three-point play, which was followed by his pull-up bank shot, got the Thunder within 91-90. Then he rose up over Wesley Matthews for a 16-footer that swished with 7.2 left. No, Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook is not the NBA MVP. The Mavericks came up empty on Barnes' 3-pointer at the buzzer. It extended the season-long run of mediocrity on their home court. The Mavericks have a poor record on the road and, at best, they have been lukewarm at home, before getting chillier against the Thunder. Things got even chillier on Monday. The loss ended a 1-3 home stand, which pretty much summed up their year at home. They also now are assured their first losing season since 1999-2000. They simply ...

Kevin Durant Praises Russell Westbrook While Discussing Controversial Nba Rest Issue

... That's a show of respect from Durant, who knows better than anyone how hard Westbrook works to be on the court as much as possible. Russell also overcome a handful of significant knee injuries that would deter lesser talents. Instead, he's recovered and is now a leading Most Valuable Player candidate. Durant explained that he understands both sides of the argument, but has a bigger problem with that fact that only superstar players are causing an uproar from the league office. "The truth about it is, it's only for a couple of players in the league. They don't care if the 13 th man on the bench rests. It's only for like Le Bron [James], Steph [Curry], [James] Harden, Russell [Westbrook]. It's only for like five players. So you want a rule just for those five players?". This is the same problem that Le Bron James took with the call from NBA commissioner Adam Silver to address the ...