The Oklahoma City Thunder have been witnessing a very special performance from superstar Russell Westbrook this season and now it is becoming a historic season for their franchise star.
Westbrook recorded his seventh consecutive triple-double, the longest such streak since Michael Jordan had seven in a row in 1989, in Friday night’s loss to the Houston Rockets.
The loss snapped Oklahoma City’s six-game winning streak.
After the game Westbrook wasn’t eager to discuss the achievement, instead focusing on the Thunder’s loss to the Rockets.
“Just missing,” Westbrook said. “Missing easy layups.”
“I missed a lot of easy shots, man. Honestly, brother,” Westbrook said. “I haven’t made no shots in the last month. S—, so, just gotta get my mind right.”
Houston guard Patrick Beverley, who played sound defense all night on Westbrook, was full of praise for the Thunder guard.
“He’s a really good,” Beverley said. “He’s a really, really, really, really, really, really, really good player.
“You got to think I got all my friends telling me, ‘Don’t let him get a triple-double. Don’t let him get a triple-double,’” Beverley said. “Like I said, he’s one of the best players in the league. I’m just happy we were fortunate to get a win today.”
“I thought we got the ball where we wanted to,” Thunder coach Billy Donovan said. “The last two possessions, in particular the underneath, out-of-bounds play with 16 seconds left, I think we got the ball where we wanted to for Russell. … I felt like we got Russell the ball in a pretty good spot for himself where he can play and create and make things happen. Unfortunately, he lost control of the ball a little bit, but I think we had him right where we wanted him to catch it.”
Westbrook is one of only four players in NBA history to register at least seven consecutive triple-doubles, joining Jordan, as well as Hall of Famers Oscar Robertson and Wilt Chamberlain.
Westbrook will have an opportunity to pass Jordan on against the Boston Celtics on Sunday which would put him within one of the longest streak ever, set by Chamberlain in 1968.
