Westbrook posts triple-double average for 3rd straight season

LOS ANGELES, USA – Russell Westbrook clinched his third straight season averaging a triple-double as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Detroit Pistons, 123-110, in an NBA contest crucial to both teams’ playoff hopes.

Westbrook finished with 19 points, 8 rebounds and 15 assists and has now averaged 10 or more points, rebounds, assists over the course of the season. He also averaged 10 or more figures in 2017-18 and 2016-17.

Paul George scored 30 points and Jerami Grant had 19 for Oklahoma City, which won for the second straight game and fourth time in the past 7.

Westbrook came into the game needing 3 assists to secure his triple-double season average and did it on just the fourth possession by Oklahoma City.

He is the only player to achieve the feat in consecutive seasons and he also leads the league in assists.

WHAT. DID. HE. DO??? @russwest44 with an insane  dish to @RealStevenAdams #WhyNot? | #ThunderUp pic.twitter.com/vXbsMTLcbC

— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) April 6, 2019

The Thunder improved their record to 46-33  and remain in 7th place in the Western Conference, a half-game ahead of the San Antonio Spurs, who also won Friday.

The Pistons lost for the third consecutive game and for the sixth time in their past 8. 

Detroit dropped into a tie for 7th in the Eastern Conference with the Brooklyn Nets, just a game ahead of the ninth-place Miami Heat.

Piston’s Blake Griffin tallied 45 points, but when the game got close he scored just one point in the 4th quarter. Griffin had 31 points in the first half and made 6-of-9 three-pointers before going cold.

Steven Adams slammed home a dunk on a pass from Westbrook to give Oklahoma City a 92-86 lead late in the 3rd quarter.

Westbrook and Grant drained consecutive threes to make it 113-101 at the 6 minute mark of the 4th. Grant finished off a lob from Dennis Schroder to extend the lead to 14 and the Thunder never looked back. – Rappler.com