Westbrook's 48 points wasted in loss to Suns
PHOENIX -- Eric Bledsoe led a balanced scoring attack with 18 points and the Phoenix Suns overcame a 48-point, 17-rebound, nine-assist effort from Russell Westbrook to beat the Oklahoma Thunder 118-111 on Friday.
Six Suns scored in double figures and the bench contributed 55 points for the second home win in as many nights. Alan Williams had 14 points and 13 rebounds, Tyler Ulis had 14 points and seven assists and Leandro Barbosa had 14 points, including a 3-pointer to stretch the Suns' lead to 109-101 with 56.6 seconds left
Devin Booker had 17 points and T.J. Warren had 15 for the Suns (20-42), who have won three straight at home.
Westbrook had 20 points in the fourth quarter and recorded his career-high fourth straight 40-point game and his first with at least 40 points and 15 rebounds this season. He was one assist shy of his 31st triple-double, which would have tied Wilt Chamberlain (1967-68) for the second-most triple doubles in a season. Oscar Robertson holds the NBA record with 41 in 1961-62.
Alex Abrines had 13 points for the Thunder (35-27), who had won six straight against the Suns.
Phoenix missed 14 of its first 17 shots, and eight early points by Westbook allowed the Thunder to take a 24-12 lead more than nine minutes into the game.
But the Suns outscored Oklahoma City 11-4 to end the quarter down 28-23 and pulled within 32-31 on a Barbosa jumper with 8:30 left in the second.
After Westbrook got into a shoving match with Suns rookie Derrick Jones Jr. midway through the quarter, the Suns' bench responded with another run. Ulis had eight of his 12 first-half points down the stretch and Phoenix led by as many as eight at 58-50.
Westbrook scored the final five points and capped a 20-point half with a 3-pointer with one second left to pull the Thunder to 58-55 at the half.
NOTES: Suns G Leandro Barbosa played in his 544th game with Phoenix, passing Mark West for ninth on the all-time franchise list. ... G Eric Bledsoe of the Suns and G Russell Westbrook of the Thunder are two of four players averaging at least 20 points, six assists and five rebounds a game this season, joining James Harden of the Houston Rockets and LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers ... Hall of Famer Al McCoy, play-by-play man for more than 4,000 games over the past 45 seasons, became the 15th inductee into the Suns' Ring of Honor at halftime. Ring members Alvan Adams, Charles Barkley, Tom Chambers, Jerry Colangelo, Walter Davis and Paul Westphal were among those in attendance. The Suns are now 10-5 on their 15 Ring of Honor Nights. ... The Suns have 88 triple-doubles in their 49-year history; Westbrook has 67 in his career.