Suns at Thunder
Russell Westbrook failed to record a triple-double in three consecutive games and the Oklahoma City standout guard doesn't want to hear about it. Westbrook's club is much more successful when he does produce a triple-double and the Thunder look to halt a two-game losing streak when they host the Phoenix Suns on Friday.
Oklahoma City is 9-3 when Westbrook registers a triple-double and 6-8 when he doesn't, and his frustration boiled over on Wednesday after the Thunder were routed 109-89 by the Utah Jazz. "Honestly, man, people and this triple-double thing is kind of getting on my nerves," Westbrook said after a contest in which he was 7-of-25 shooting and committed five turnovers. "People think if I don't get it, it's like a big thing. When I do get it, it's a thing. If y'all just let me play. ... If I get it, I get it. If I don't, I don't. It is what it is. I really don't care. For the 100th time, I don't care." Phoenix strives to do a better defensive job on Westbrook then earlier this season when it watched him explode for 51 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in Oklahoma City's 113-110 victory on Oct. 28. The Suns dropped a 107-92 decision to the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday, when they were outscored by 12 points in the fourth quarter.
TV: 5 p.m. ET, FSN Arizona (Phoenix), FSN Oklahoma
ABOUT THE SUNS (8-18): Phoenix was outclassed by the veteran Spurs in the final stanza as it watched a possible upset disintegrate into a 15-point defeat. "For us, we have a couple of more hurdles to get over, but that is the biggest hurdle, the fourth quarter," Suns forward Jared Dudley said afterward. "When teams go on big runs we lose our confidence. We lose our composure." Shooting guard Eric Bledsoe saw his streak of three straight 30-point outings end as he struggled to 14 points on 5-of-14 shooting.
ABOUT THE THUNDER (15-11): Shooting guard Victor Oladipo (wrist) sat out the past two games and it isn't yet known if he will play against the Suns. Oladipo, who is listed as day-to-day, suffered his injury when he fell hard to the floor in Sunday's game against the Boston Celtics and is still sporting a splint on the sore right wrist. "I want to make sure I'm good so I can help my teammates out," Oladipo told The Oklahoman.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Thunder won five straight meetings and 18 of the past 21.
2. Phoenix backup C Alex Len (hip) could miss his third consecutive game.
3. Oklahoma City C Steven Adams produced five straight double-digit outings and is averaging 15.2 points on 30-of-44 shooting during the stretch.