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What you missed this week in the NBA: The wild, wild East

By Gabe Henderson

OAKLAND, CA - FEBRUARY 24: Russell Westbrook
OAKLAND, CA - FEBRUARY 24: Russell Westbrook /
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OAKLAND, CA – FEBRUARY 24: Russell Westbrook #0 of the Oklahoma City Thunder handles the ball against the Golden State Warriors on February 24, 2018 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA – FEBRUARY 24: Russell Westbrook #0 of the Oklahoma City Thunder handles the ball against the Golden State Warriors on February 24, 2018 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) /

4. Russ reaches milestone

Over the course of the last two seasons, Russell Westbrook has broken a lot of records. Even though his Oklahoma City Thunder have yet to seriously contend for a title since the departure of Kevin Durant, Westbrook is thriving as an individual. The reigning MVP recently became the fourth player in NBA history to reach 100 career triple-doubles. Westbrook dropped 32 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists on the night as he led the Thunder to a comeback win over the Atlanta Hawks.

Westbrook joins Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson and Jason Kidd in the exclusive triple-digit triple-double club. He joined Robertson last season as the only players in NBA history to average a triple-double over the course of an entire season. This accomplishment, along with his 42 triple-doubles in 2016-17, earned him last season’s MVP award. Westbrook is the fourth to reach the 100 triple-double mark, but third fastest to reach the milestone. The 29-year-old guard now sits seven triple-doubles behind Kidd. While unlikely, there’s still time for the reigning MVP to surpass Kidd and move into third all-time this season.

While he hasn’t tallied a stunning, record-breaking 42 triple-doubles, he’s still managed 21 thus far. Many believed the arrival of Paul George and Carmelo Anthony would slow Westbrook down on the triple-double front. However, he’s averaging 25.3 points, 10.2 assists and 9.6 rebounds per game, astonishingly close to another record year. The Thunder have struggled at times this season — especially since Andre Roberson suffered a season-ending injury — but they remain in the thick of things in the West.

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