Russell Westbrook’s ridiculous triple-double in a win over the Pacers was a historic feat for the player, the Wizards, and the NBA.
There seems to be no end to the statistical output Russell Westbrook is capable of.
On Monday night, as the Wizards battled the Pacers, Westbrook put up an astonishing stat line of 35 points, 14 rebounds, and 21 assists. He also had two steals and a block.
If that line made you drop your jaw, that’s the appropriate response.
No one in NBA history has done what Russell Westbrook did on Monday
Literally, Westbrook is the only player in the history of the NBA to manage 35 points while also snagging 10 or more rebounds and dishing 20 or more assists.
That’s better even than Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson, who were the only players to manage 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 20 assists in a game before Westbrook.
The NBA also confirmed Westbrook set a record with his fourth 20+ point, 20+ assist game in his career.
The 32-year-old guard is a triple-double machine. This year, Westbrook is averaging one with 21.4 points, 10 rebounds, and 10.2 assists. In 38 games since joining the Wizards, he has 16. That’s a franchise record and he hasn’t even finished a season with the club. According to Yahoo! Sports’ Ryan Young, Darrell Walker was the prior record-holder with 15 triple-doubles it took him four years to compile.
Westbrook’s stats haven’t always led to victories. The Wizards are 17-28 while sitting fourth in the Southeast. However, on Monday, he did make the difference.
Washington trailed by six with under six minutes to play. Westbrook scored 10 points in the final minutes to propel the Wizards to a 132-124 victory.
Westbrook ultimately outdid the 35 points put up by Domantas Sabonis for the Pacers. The Wizards were also helped by 26 points from Rui Hachimura.