Pistons at Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder are fighting for position in the Western Conference and star point guard Russell Westbrook is helping his team along by making some history. Westbrook will try to follow up the first 20-20-20 game since 1968 when the Thunder host the Detroit Pistons on Friday.
Westbrook said he was honoring slain rapper and friend Nipsey Hussle when he joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in NBA history to post at least 20 points, 20 rebounds and 20 assists in the same game in Monday's 119-103 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. "Grateful to play the game, but that wasn't for me, man. That was for my bro, man. That was for Nipsey," Westbrook said on the TNT broadcast. "Rest in peace to Nipsey, man. I'm just thankful to go out there and compete at a high level, man. Thankful to have these teammates. Thankful and humbled to go out there and play the game I love." The Pistons are still trying to clinch a spot in the postseason and sit in sixth place in the East, one game clear of the ninth-place Miami Heat. Detroit dropped its last two games with All-Star forward Blake Griffin (knee) out of the lineup and is hoping to get him back before the end of the regular season.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS Detroit, FS Oklahoma
ABOUT THE PISTONS (39-39): Griffin, who averages 24.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists, missed the last three contests and is listed as questionable for Friday. "He's a heavy dose of what we do," Detroit point guard Reggie Jackson told reporters of Griffin. "He does a great job of playing one on one, drawing double teams and making guys' jobs easier. With him out, we have to pick it up collectively and figure out how to still get guys the ball in comfortable spots to be effective. Whenever you're missing your main guy, it's kind of hard playing on the fly, figuring it out. But we've got to adjust, and we've got to do it quickly." The Pistons play their final three games against sub-.500 teams after finishing up with Oklahoma City - home against Charlotte and Memphis and at New York.
ABOUT THE THUNDER (45-33): Westbrook, who waived off a substitution with Oklahoma City up big in the final minute in order to stay in and grab the last two rebounds, gave all the credit to his teammates after putting up the 20 points, 20 rebounds and 21 assists against Los Angeles. "Without (my teammates) none of this is possible," Westbrook told reporters. "They make my job very, very easy and I try to do the same for them. So, just thankful for those group of guys in the locker room to be on my side, to be sharing on and encouraging, continuously putting out positive energy is always a great team especially inside of a team." The Thunder sit in the No. 7 spot in the West, a half-game clear of eighth-place San Antonio and 1 1/2 games behind the sixth-place Clippers.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Oklahoma City PG Dennis Schroder is 3-of-16 from 3-point range over the last four games.
2. Pistons C Andre Drummond is carrying a heavier load with Griffin out and collected 28 points, 19 rebounds three blocks and three steals in Wednesday's 108-89 home loss to Indiana.
3. Oklahoma City earned a 110-83 victory at Detroit on Dec. 3 - its third win in the last four meetings.