Triple-Double Watch Week 12: Westbrook adds a pair

Welcome to Triple-Double Watch, a weekly check-in on everyone’s favorite arbitrary milestone of round, base-ten numbers.

In the first full week of 2018, the league’s best triple-double producer added a couple more to his running total. Draymond Green got into the act too. Finally, just as our Tuesday-Monday week was ending, Nikola Jokic hit a figurative buzzer-beater, notching his first triple-double of the season despite his team falling to the Warriors Monday night, 124-114. The 22-year-old Serbian center also had games of 14-9-8 and 8-7-10 on Wednesday and Saturday, respectively. Last season, Jokic came away with six TDs, good for fourth in the league.

Nearly three months after their opening night clash, a 122-121 Rockets win, the Western Conference’s best two teams squared off on a Thursday night in front of another national television audience. James Harden and Kevin Durant were sidelined for their respective teams, but the game managed to retain its sizzle. After three quarters, Golden State led a high-scoring affair, 93-90. This time, the Warriors came away with the win, as Green grabbed his second triple-double of the season (not to mention the second over his last seven games). Green achieved each on national TV in games in which one of his star teammates didn’t play (Curry was unavailable on Dec. 25 against the Cavaliers).

In Thursday’s win, Green notched six points, two rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block in a well rounded fourth quarter emblematic of his 17-14-10-2-1 final stat line. This season, Green has seemingly enjoyed facing the Rockets. On opening night, he fell one point short of a triple-double (9-11-13). Interestingly enough, Green had two other close calls against the Rockets during the 2016-17 campaign:

• 12/1/16: 20-15-9 ( L,132-127)
• 1/20/17: 15-9-8 (W, 125-108)

This week, our triple-double hero, Russell Westbrook, claimed a couple more, doubling up on runner-up LeBron James’ seven for the season. The Avant Guard had a busy week, averaging 25.0 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 11.3 assists per game during the Thunder’s three-game road trip. Most recently, the Thunder lost in Phoenix Sunday night, 114-100, despite Westbrook’s monster night; it marked the fourth loss for the Thunder this season when Westbrook secured a triple-double (they’re 10-4 and 76-17 for his career). On the night, the Thunder were outscored by 10 points when he was on the court and allowed 17 total 3-pointers, with Devin Booker and Dragan Bender doing the bulk of the damage from deep.

Westbrook’s Wednesday and Thursday went smoother, as he returned home to Southern California for a back-to-back against the Lakers and Clippers, respectively. Born in Long Beach and a two-year player for the UCLA Bruins, Westbrook appeared to enjoy being back. The Thunder’s 133-96 blowout of the Lakers enabled Billy Donovan to play the one who sometimes seems to boast boundless energy for just 28 minutes. The following night, Westbrook helped guide OKC to a win over the Clippers. In the fourth quarter with under 5 minutes remaining, Raymond Felton’s 3-point attempt missed so badly that it hit the side of the backboard. An alert and energetic Westbrook scooped up the offensive board and put it in for two, as the Thunder took a commanding 11-point lead once he finished the three-point play at the line.

After the win over the Clippers, a precocious Westbrook poured cold water on teammate Carmelo Anthony while he was doing a post-game interview, causing Anthony to curse on live TV. Westbrook more than made up for it, however, by doing this charitable act the very next day. What a mensch!

While Kyrie Irving and Chris Paul both got pretty close to achieving triple-doubles this week, LeBron James came the closest, among those who fell short. In Saturday’s narrow win in Orlando, James posted 33 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists, six steals, and a block. Two days later, one of James’ opponents had himself a memorable night. On Monday, Jimmy Butler had totaled 21 points, eight rebounds, and nine assists by the time he was taken out of the game at the 3:24 mark of the third quarter, never to return again. At that moment, the Timberwolves were leading the Cavaliers, 94-55, enabling Jimmy Buckets to rest the rest of the way.

Next: 30 best NBA players who never won a championship

Next week will be my final Triple-Double Watch filling in for Paul. It’s been a pleasure helping to document this season’s triple-dubs.