Russell Westbrook ties Wilt Chamberlain for most triple-doubles in a season and the Thunder top the Spurs 102-92 in Oklahoma City.
The Spurs have a similar problem to the Thunder — who takes the shots when your superstar goes down?
San Antonio found themselves in trouble in Thursday’s matchup against Oklahoma City when Kawhi Leonard went down in the third quarter after an errant blow to the head from Thunder guard Victor Oladipo.
Although Leonard went down in the third, Oklahoma City never sputtered much of this game at any point. Head Coach Greg Popovich’s comments post-game echoed his frustrations with the overall effort from his team.
“If Kawhi would have played in the fourth, if they would have continued to do what they were doing and we continued to do what we were doing, they would have won anyway. We never make excuses. We got out butts kicked,” said Popovich told NBA AP writer Cliff Brunt.
Other notable absences for the Spurs were Manu Ginobili(rest), Tony Parker(back stiffness), and Kyle Anderson( right knee sprain).
Much credit should also be given to OKC and Westbrook’s supporting cast on Thursday night as the whole gang was alert inside Chesapeake Energy Arena. A big win for the Thunder against a revered organization like the Spurs is always a great thing with the season winding down.
Takeaways
Historic season, historic night: Russell Westbrook has all but solidified his MVP candidacy in the eyes of most, and continued his pace to have one of the more remarkable seasons in NBA history.
On pace to average a triple-double for the season, Westbrook tied Wilt Chamberlain for the second-most triple-doubles in a season nabbing his 31st of the year. The only player with more in a season happens to be the one and only, Oscar Robertson, who notched 41 during his 1961-62 season. For comparison purposes, Robertson averaged 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 11.4 assists and Westbrook’s stat line sits at 32.1 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 10 assists.
Enes and the boys: Enes Kanter might not be the most intimidating force for the Thunder. He’s often ridiculed for being soft and for a lack of defense, but Kanter brought the boom on Thursday night.
Kanter would finish the game with a double-double, making 60 percent of his shots on his way to 14 points and 10 rebounds. Along with Kanter, Coach Billy Donovan received much-needed contributions from Victor Oladipo, Domantas Sabonis, and sharp-shooting Doug McDermott. The three combined to shoot 50 percent (16-of-32) and provided glimpses of what the Thunder can accomplish when Westbrook isn’t forced to shoulder the load, not to mention what knockdown shooters can do for Westbrook’s game moving forward.
Spurs’ woes: The San Antonio Spurs need Kawhi Leonard on the floor at all times, gone are the days of platoon lineups that Head Coach Greg Popovich has been blessed with over the years. Outside of a solid seven-man rotation, the Spurs’ depth has seen better days. With Kawhi out, the offense was stagnant and looked in a disarray after he left in the third.
LaMarcus Aldridge, once a dominant upward-trending superstar, has never looked like more than a second piece since joining the Spurs a year ago. Danny Green is now a sporadic threat behind the arc, somewhat missing his mark from years past. Tony Parker and Manu are still old, and Patty gonna Patty. While catapulting himself into MVP talks, Kawhi Leonard has a tough task ahead to rally his troops to make a run in the playoffs.
The playoff race in both the Eastern and Western Conferences will be intriguing to watch as we come closer to the conclusion of a great season. Will the Spurs catch the Warriors and take the No. 1 seed? Can Russell Westbrook pass Oscar Robertson and if so, can the Thunder get past the first round of the playoffs? So much left to be answered from now until April, so stay tuned for an exciting finish to the NBA season.
Statistics courtesy of Basketball-Reference and NBA.com