WGL Sports Performer of the Day (2/24/17)

Oklahoma City Thunder Point Guard Russell Westbrook (17 points, 18 rebounds, 17 assists)

It’s official. While there are still 24 games left in this current NBA season, Russell Westbrook has now averaged a triple-double in his last 82 games dating back to last season. This is notable because Westbrook is attempting to become just the second player in NBA history to average a triple-double over the course of an entire season. Only Oscar Robertson during the 1961-62 season has ever accomplished that. Westbrook can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but he isn’t quite there yet. Of course, last night’s performance against the Lakers will help him out across the board: 17 points, 18 rebounds, and 17 assists in the Thunder’s 110-93 win. He is just the third player in the last 40 years to have at least 17 points, 17 rebounds, and 17 assists in a game.

Westbrook now has a league-leading 28 triple-doubles on the season, meaning he has recorded a triple-double in just under half of his team’s games. His averages for the season are 31.1 points, 10.1 assists, and 10.5 rebounds. Westbrook leads the league in points per game. The race to the finish line will be close in both assists and rebounds. Westbrook had a game right before the All-Star break with just 4 assists and 4 rebounds, which did not help his cause. Ask Westbrook about his chase for history and he will likely say it doesn’t matter and he just wants to help his team win (they are currently 7th in the Western conference). But there’s no doubt this milestone means something to him, especially after Kevin Durant left Oklahoma City in the offseason. Westbrook wants to prove that he is the man, both in OKC and in the NBA. Better believe he will do everything in his power to make sure he finishes this season strong and completes this historic achievement.