poetic. This is how you describe the evening that went by Russell Westbrook On April 9, 2017.
If he certainly had a complicated 2021/22 season with the Lakers, we shouldn’t forget that “Brodie” was (and still is?) a player capable of accomplishing amazing feats, not to mention the paranormal. Specifically, what better example to illustrate this feeling than a performance he gave in Denver, exactly five years ago?
Then cruising towards the title of the best (and only) player of his career, Russell Westbrook took advantage of his trip to Colorado to celebrate NBA history and enter the league’s legend. Indeed, that evening, he simply had the opportunity to break a nearly five-decade-old record: the record for the most triples doubles achieved in a single season.
The unforgettable “game winner” at the bell
Prior to the meeting, the person still playing the Thunder totaled 41 in the 2016/17 fiscal year. Or as much as the illustrious Oscar Robertson in 1961/62. But on the Nuggets floor, the captain was once again outsmarting himself, on the one hand, to improve this record, and on the other hand, bestowing victory on his team, with a 14-point lead in the final quarter. !
Because, on arrival, Russell Westbrook has already finished at least 50 points, 16 rebounds and 10 (!) assists on the counter, in 37 minutes, all at 17/32 on shots, 5/12 on 3 points and 11/ 11 in free throws. Above all, he afforded himself the luxury of eliminating Denver from the playoffs, by putting the winning shot to the bell. And what a shot!
Left eccentric Ross took the ball from Stephen Adams’ hand, 1.5 seconds left. Without asking any questions, he armed his shot at a (very) long distance, despite Jamal Murray’s protest, to send a warhead with a very steep trajectory… pierce the basket!
Final in apotheosis in the season of madness
on one side, Superstar of OKC could let his joy explode with his teammates, who had come to throw him to congratulate him, without really realizing what had just happened. On the other hand, the audience at the Pepsi Center and the Nuggets players were visibly dumbfounded, as they could clearly only bow to the “winner of the game” frenzy and capitalist performance of their evening opponent…
But with this performance, Russell Westbrook ended up above all else convincing those who still doubt he was the best player of the regular season. Because, in the wake of Kevin Durant’s departure to the Warriors, the former UCLA resident is bent over backwards to keep his franchise in the Top 8 West and allow it to remain at a competitive low. Finishing his season as a bonus in the triple-double average. For the first time since… Oscar Robertson 1961/62.
And even if he never split the Watchers as he did during the 2016/17 campaign, due to his immersive side to Thunder, the future leader of the Rockets and the Wizards has shown that he’s been part of this list of players with whom anything is possible in the match. For good or bad…
| Russell Westbrook | percent | bounce | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| season | equipped | GM | minimum | shots | 3 points | LF | on | Dave | in early time | pd | Ceremony | Int | baby | CT | points |
| 2008-09 | Okay | 82 | 33 | 39.8 | 27.1 | 81.5 | 2.2 | 2.7 | 4.9 | 5.3 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 3.3 | 0.2 | 15.3 |
| 2009-10 | Okay | 82 | 34 | 41.8 | 22.1 | 78.0 | 1.7 | 3.2 | 4.9 | 8.0 | 2.5 | 1.3 | 3.3 | 0.4 | 16.1 |
| 2010-11 | Okay | 82 | 35 | 44.2 | 33.0 | 84.2 | 1.5 | 3.2 | 4.6 | 8.2 | 2.5 | 1.9 | 3.9 | 0.4 | 21.9 |
| 2011-12 | Okay | 66 | 35 | 45.7 | 31.6 | 82.3 | 1.5 | 3.1 | 4.6 | 5.5 | 2.2 | 1.7 | 3.6 | 0.3 | 23.6 |
| 2012-13 | Okay | 82 | 35 | 43.8 | 32.3 | 80.0 | 1.4 | 3.9 | 5.2 | 7.4 | 2.3 | 1.8 | 3.3 | 0.3 | 23.2 |
| 2013-14 | Okay | 46 | 31 | 43.7 | 31.8 | 82.6 | 1.2 | 4.5 | 5.7 | 6.9 | 2.3 | 1.9 | 3.9 | 0.2 | 21.8 |
| 2014-15 | Okay | 67 | 34 | 42.6 | 29.9 | 83.5 | 1.9 | 5.4 | 7.3 | 8.6 | 2.8 | 2.1 | 4.4 | 0.2 | 28.2 |
| 2015-16 | Okay | 80 | 34 | 45.4 | 29.6 | 81.2 | 1.8 | 6.0 | 7.8 | 10.4 | 2.5 | 2.0 | 4.3 | 0.3 | 23.5 |
| 2016-17 ★ | Okay | 81 | 35 | 42.5 | 34.3 | 84.5 | 1.7 | 9.0 | 10.7 | 10.4 | 2.4 | 1.6 | 5.4 | 0.4 | 31.6 |
| 2017-18 | Okay | 80 | 36 | 44.9 | 29.8 | 73.7 | 1.9 | 8.2 | 10.1 | 10.3 | 2.5 | 1.8 | 4.8 | 0.3 | 25.4 |
| 2018-19 | Okay | 73 | 36 | 42.8 | 29.0 | 65.6 | 1.5 | 9.6 | 11.1 | 10.7 | 3.4 | 2.0 | 4.5 | 0.5 | 23.0 |
| 2019-20 | How | 57 | 36 | 47.2 | 25.8 | 76.3 | 1.8 | 6.2 | 7.9 | 7.0 | 3.5 | 1.6 | 4.5 | 0.4 | 27.3 |
| 2020-21 | It was | 65 | 36 | 43.9 | 31.5 | 65.6 | 1.7 | 9.9 | 11.5 | 11.7 | 2.9 | 1.4 | 4.8 | 0.4 | 22.2 |
| 2021-22 | everyone | 78 | 34 | 44.4 | 29.8 | 66.7 | 1.4 | 6.0 | 7.4 | 7.1 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 3.8 | 0.3 | 18.5 |
| sum | 1021 | 35 | 43.8 | 30.5 | 78.3 | 1.7 | 5.7 | 7.4 | 8.4 | 2.6 | 1.7 | 4.1 | 0.3 | 22.8 | |