Jazz at Thunder
Russell Westbrook is dragging the Oklahoma City Thunder toward the postseason and trying to push them up the standings. Westbrook will try to guide his team to back-to-back wins at the expense of teams in front of them in the standings when they host the Utah Jazz on Saturday.
Westbrook recorded 23 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists in a 102-92 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday that snapped a four-game slide and kept Oklahoma City within three games of the Los Angeles Clippers for the No. 5 spot in the Western Conference. The All-Star point guard did not post a triple-double during the team's four-game skid, and the Thunder are 25-6 this season when he records double figures in points, rebounds and assists. The Jazz are holding down the No. 4 spot in the West, two games clear of the Clippers and five ahead of the Thunder after posting their fourth straight win on Wednesday. Utah opened a stretch with six of seven on the road by holding down the high-scoring Houston Rockets in Wednesday's 115-108 triumph.
TV: 3 p.m. ET, ROOT (Utah), FSN Oklahoma
ABOUT THE JAZZ (41-24): Utah is trying not to focus on its potential seed in the West before locking up a playoff spot, despite shaving a game off the deficit in the march toward third place with the win over Houston. "I want to make the playoffs," Jazz coach Quin Snyder told reporters. "We're getting closer to doing that. We've been a work in progress most of the year. I think the best thing for us to do is try to get better and get guys healthy and see where we end up." All-Star swingman Gordon Hayward is doing his part to move the team along and scored 23 points in each of the last three contests.
ABOUT THE THUNDER (36-29): Westbrook's 31 triple-doubles this season tie Wilt Chamberlain for second on the all-time list, and coach Billy Donovan isn't afraid to ask for more from his superstar. "He's always evaluating and viewing it from the perspective, 'What do I need to do, and what does the team need from me?'" Donovan told reporters. "And then I think he tries to do it. I know there's games where his usage rate is through the ceiling, but that's what the game requires for that night from him. And (Thursday) was a game where he was just leading, managing, getting everybody involved." Westbrook is 10 shy of tying Oscar Robertson's record of 41 triple-doubles in a season.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Utah C Rudy Gobert is second in the league in field goal percentage (64.8 percent) and is shooting 75.8 percent during the four-game winning streak.
2. Thunder SG Victor Oladipo is averaging 18 points and is 13-of-23 from the field in two games since returning from a back injury.
3. Oklahoma City took two of the first three meetings this season, including a 109-106 home win on Feb. 28.