Mr. Triple Double
Last night’s OKC and Portland game was one for the history books. Although it will go down for many as a simple Thunder win over the Blazers; the historical importance of what happened in the game cannot be understated. It was not just another pre-All Star break February game – for those basketball historians, it shall be the game that gave one of the best all around players in NBA history another credential. Not only was one record broken but we also had a pair of teammates realize a feat that had never been accomplished before.
The game itself saw the third and fourth best teams in the west in terms of record go at it in Oklahoma City. The Thunder got out to an early lead in the first quarter and never relinquished it. The Blazers did get the lead down to just 5 going into the fourth quarter but C.J. McCollum had been cold all night and he only took two shots in the last QT. His frustration was apparent all night and it was actualized just before half, as the ref gave him a technical. Even worse for the Blazers, their super star point guard had scored just 6 points on 1 of 10 shooting in the first half. They dug themselves in a hole and never go out.
As for history, Russell Westbrook broke Wilt Chamberlain’s 50-year-old record of most consecutive triple doubles – now with 10. It’s actually a bit surprising that Russ didn’t have this record already since he averaged a triple double for two straight seasons now; nonetheless, it just goes to show how great and hard the competition in the National Basketball Association is. In this historic streak, the All Star reserve is averaging 19.7 points, 13.2 rebounds and 13.8 assists; however, more importantly, the Thunder are 9-1 in those games.
All the credit can’t be given to Westbrook however – Paul George has solidified himself as a legitimate threat to take the MVP from “the Beard” or the “Greek Freak.” Last night, these two All Stars became the first duo in the history of the league to both acquire a triple double and also both have more than 20 points a piece – a remarkable achievement considering the iconic duos in history of the NBA. In the last 10 games, PG13 has lead the team in scoring all of 10 (having tied Westbrook for the game high with 23 against the Pelicans on January 24th) and is averaging 37 points over the span.
The west is stacked just as it has been for well over a decade but the Thunder can be a real threat in the playoffs if their team continues to have the 2nd highest defensive efficiency in the league and their All Stars continue to have historic seasons into the postseason. It will be hard to beat the stacked Warriors in 7 but we have seen weirder things happen in the NBA.
