Westbrook records another tirple-double in win vs. Suns
OKLAHOMA CITY - Russell Westbrook collected his 13th triple-double of the season to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to an 114-101 victory over the Phoenix Suns Saturday at the Chesapeake Energy Arena.
Just days after saying he was tired of hearing about triple-doubles, Westbrook poured in 26 points, 11 rebounds and 22 assists, which is a new career high. It's only the fifth time since 1983 that a player had a triple double and reach at least 20 points and 20 assists.
Thunder center Steven Adams added 19 points and six rebounds while Enes Kanter came off the bench to score 12 points as Oklahoma City broke a two game losing streak and raised its record to 16-11.
The Suns were led by Devon Booker who scored a game-high 31 points on 11 of 22 shooting. Eric Bledsoe posted 12 points and four assists as Phoenix dropped to 8-19.
The Suns complied a total of 16 assists, which was six less than Westbrook by himself.
With shooting guard Victor Oladipo not playing, different players took turns scoring for the Thunder to start the evening. Four players scored at least five points as Oklahoma City held a 30-20 advantage.
The normally prolific scoring Suns were out of sync the entire first half. They shot only 34 percent from the field and made only four of their 13 3-point attempts.
The lone bright spot for the Suns in the first half came from reserve Alex Len. He came off the bench to post 10 points and six rebounds in nine minutes of action.
Yet, that wasn't enough to keep the Thunder from taking a 54-39 lead into halftime.
The third quarter was like a personal duel between the teams' explosive guards. If Westbrook drained a 3-pointer, Booker came right back knocked one on from long distance himself. There didn't seem to be a spot on the floor Booker couldn't hit from.
But while Booker left is imprint on the game in the scoring column, Westbrook made sure his was felt in every aspect. In the third quarter alone, he racked up 12 points, five assists, three rebounds and only one turnover as Oklahoma City went ahead 89-69.
Westbrook kept piling of the assists and made each one seem more exciting than the next in the fourth. The Suns defense fell apart and the Thunder pulled away.
NOTES: Oklahoma City guard Victor Oladipo missed his third straight game with a right wrist sprain. "I think a lot of times people want to know when he will be back," Thunder coach Billy Donovan said. "I think to be honest with you, we don't know. I'm not saying he is going to be out for months, weeks or days. If you say he is going to be back this day and then he's not, people start to draw conclusions. Right now his wrist is really sore. He doesn't feel comfortable. I don't have any timetable." ... Phoenix forward TJ Warren returned to the lineup for the first time since suffering a head injury Nov. 18. "I don't think he is ready to start," Suns coach Earl Watson said. "He has been gone too long. TJ is what we call a straight hooper. Put him on the court, he can find his way, he can score, he can defend." ... Donovan was asked if he will start sitting healthy players to give them rest. "I think every team has an obligation to the welfare medically and health wise to all their players," Donovan said. "I also get and understand a road game and guys aren't there playing. It can be disappointing. But I always defer to the medical staff as it relates to those situations as they log the amount of minutes, their loads. How much wear and tear is on their body. We always going to put the player first." ... Before the game, the Thunder played a tribute video in honor of Craig Sager, who passed away Thursday.