(AP) — Russell Westbrook became the second player in NBA history to average a triple-double for a season, but failed for the second game in a row to break Oscar Robertson’s single-season record for most triple-doubles.

Westbrook fell two assists shy of what would have been his 42nd triple-double in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s one-sided 120-99 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Friday night.

On a rough night all around, Westbrook had 23 points (on 6-of-25 shooting, 2 of 12 on 3-pointers), 12 rebounds and eight assists, along with eight turnovers before coach Billy Donovan pulled him with 2:34 to play.

Devin Booker scored 21 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter for the Suns, who snapped a 13-game losing streak.

Westbrook did get the six assists he needed to assure that he’d join Robertson as the only players to average a triple-double for a season. Robertson averaged 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 11.4 assists for the Cincinnati Royals in the 1961-62 season.

Enes Kanter added 17 points for the Thunder, who shot just 37 percent. T.J. Warren scored 23 for Phoenix.

Westbrook had probably his worst shooting half of the season and his teammates didn’t show much interest in the contest as the Suns opened a 28-point lead.

He missed his first 11 shots before sinking a 17-footer with 50.4 seconds left in the half. He followed that quickly with a three-point play on an acrobatic drive to the basket.

But his halftime stats were ugly: 2-for-13 shooting, 0 for 4 on 3s, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 6 turnovers.

Phoenix, meanwhile, shot 61 percent in the first half, led by Warren’s 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting, to Oklahoma City’s 39 percent and led 71-48 at the half.

Westbrook earned assists on Oklahoma City’s first three baskets in the opening minute of the second half but he got only two more the rest of the night.

Thunder: Oklahoma City is three games behind the Los Angeles Clippers for the No. 5 spot in the West. … The season series finished tied 2-2.

Suns: The 13 straight losses had tied a franchise record set last season. … Suns won for the first time since they shut down a healthy Eric Bledsoe for the season. … Phoenix’s 71 points was its highest-scoring first half of the season.

Westbrook has three more chances for that 42nd triple-double, two of them against Denver.

Oklahoma City plays at Denver on Sunday and at Minnesota on Tuesday. The Thunder wrap up their regular season at home against the Nuggets next Wednesday.

He had seven straight triple-doubles before failing to get there the last two times.

Suns: Phoenix is home against Dallas on Sunday. </s> PHOENIX (AP) — Russell Westbrook became the second player in NBA history to average a triple-double for a season, but failed for the second game in a row to break Oscar Robertson’s single-season record for most triple-doubles.

Westbrook fell two assists shy of what would have been his 42nd triple-double in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s one-sided 120-99 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Friday night.

On a rough night all around, Westbrook had 23 points (on 6-of-25 shooting, 2 of 12 on 3-pointers), 12 rebounds and eight assists, along with eight turnovers before coach Billy Donovan pulled him with 2:34 to play.

Devin Booker scored 21 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter for the Suns, who snapped a 13-game losing streak.

Westbrook did get the six assists he needed to assure that he’d join Robertson as the only players to average a triple-double for a season. Robertson averaged 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 11.4 assists for the Cincinnati Royals in the 1961-62 season.

Enes Kanter added 17 points for the Thunder, who shot just 37 percent. T.J. Warren scored 23 for Phoenix.

Westbrook had probably his worst shooting half of the season and his teammates didn’t show much interest in the contest as the Suns opened a 28-point lead.

He missed his first 11 shots before sinking a 17-footer with 50.4 seconds left in the half. He followed that quickly with a three-point play on an acrobatic drive to the basket.

But his halftime stats were ugly: 2-for-13 shooting, 0 for 4 on 3s, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 6 turnovers.

Phoenix, meanwhile, shot 61 percent in the first half, led by Warren’s 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting, to Oklahoma City’s 39 percent and led 71-48 at the half.

Westbrook earned assists on Oklahoma City’s first three baskets in the opening minute of the second half but he got only two more the rest of the night.

Thunder: Oklahoma City is three games behind the Los Angeles Clippers for the No. 5 spot in the West. … The season series finished tied 2-2.

Suns: The 13 straight losses had tied a franchise record set last season. … Suns won for the first time since they shut down a healthy Eric Bledsoe for the season. … Phoenix’s 71 points was its highest-scoring first half of the season.

Westbrook has three more chances for that 42nd triple-double, two of them against Denver.

Oklahoma City plays at Denver on Sunday and at Minnesota on Tuesday. The Thunder wrap up their regular season at home against the Nuggets next Wednesday.

He had seven straight triple-doubles before failing to get there the last two times.

Suns: Phoenix is home against Dallas on Sunday. </s> PHOENIX, AZ – APRIL 7: Russell Westbrook #0 of the Oklahoma City Thunder is seen during the game against the Phoenix Suns on April 7, 2017 at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona.

A frustrated Russell Westbrook had been working out in the Phoenix Suns’ practice gym for about 30 minutes following the final buzzer when Oklahoma City Thunder coach Billy Donovan began heading out to the team bus.

Westbrook had already given notice that he was finding his own way back to the Thunder’s hotel in Phoenix on Friday night. And as Donovan stood outside the practice gym doors where the NBA MVP candidate was breaking more of a sweat after a bad night when history was and wasn’t made, the coach smiled widely in appreciation of his uber-competitive star.

“That’s what makes him great,” Donovan told The Undefeated. “My wife was back in Florida for spring break. So what am I going to do? Go home? I can’t cook. So what do I do? I stay in the office. Nine o’clock [at night], 9:30, here he comes rolling in on the shooting gun. We had an off day and I told the guys to get away after a long stretch we had, no practice, no nothing. 5:30 at night, here he comes into the weight room lifting by himself.

“He’s really, really, really just committed. He didn’t shoot the ball well. He probably felt those were shots he should have made. He’s going to go in there and feel better about walking out of this building tonight.”

Westbrook missed 19 of 25 field goal attempts, including his first 11, and 10 of 12 3-point attempts to finish with 23 points in a 120-99 loss to the struggling yet prideful Suns. The six-time NBA All-Star had 12 rebounds and eight assists, which left him two assists shy of an NBA season-record 42nd triple-double.

Westbrook’s eight assists guaranteed he would be the first player to average a triple-double for a season since Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson averaged 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 11.4 assists in 1961-62.

His Thunder teammates didn’t help his cause as Westbrook mustered only two of the needed four assists in eight minutes in the fourth quarter. With three regular-season games remaining, Westbrook is tied with Robertson for the most triple-doubles in a season with 41.

Westbrook says he “don’t play for the records” and he puts a lot of pressure on himself daily to “compete at a high level.” With his father’s old family remedy in mind, Westbrook headed to the Suns’ practice gym shortly after the game to regroup mentally while his teammates headed to the showers in their locker room next door.

“That’s just something me and my dad [used to do],” the 6-foot-4 point guard said. “My dad always told me to get my mind right. That’s just something I always used to do. I always remember that. It can be therapeutic, whatever you want to call it. For me it’s just overall getting my s— together …

“You understand how important the game is. I want to make sure I’m playing the best I can for my teammates and I feel like tonight I let them down in that aspect.”

Thunder assistant coach and former NBA point guard Maurice “Mo” Cheeks eventually made his way into the practice gym to check on Westbrook after walking past security at the two entrances. Cheeks, however, didn’t go on the hardwood floor to help. Why? Westbrook didn’t want anyone passing him the ball on the full court.

“He said he didn’t deserve for anyone to pass him the ball. He chased everyone away. He told them to leave,” a source said.

Said Donovan: “He’s an old-school guy. A man’s man. I love dealing with him. He’s very direct.”

Cheeks sat quietly in a row of seats above the court watching Westbrook work out. Meanwhile, Thunder players and other team personnel minded their own business as they got gourmet plates of food to-go from a buffet line in that same practice gym. Cheeks recalled how he and his longtime pupil had conversations years ago about what the latter needed to do to be a superstar one day. Cheeks believed that Westbrook would be pretty good at the time, but never envisioned this Robertson-like greatness.

“When I first got here, he was in his second year,” Cheeks told The Undefeated. “He and I had conversations about All-Star and just being one of the best players in the league. And he wasn’t at that time. To see where he was to where he is now, is an amazing thing.

“I saw the competitiveness. I can’t say I saw the greatness like that. But I saw the level he worked, the level he practiced. If he didn’t do something that night, he tried to do better the next night. I saw that.”

Cheeks has played with Hall of Famers Julius Erving, Moses Malone, Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing and Dominique Wilkins. The 1983 NBA champion has also coached Hall of Famer Allen Iverson and 2014 NBA MVP Kevin Durant. But when it comes to competitive level, Cheeks ranks Westbrook with “The Answer.”

“He and Iverson rank right up there,” Cheeks said. “They never give in. They always think they are the best player on the floor. They’re just nonstop all the time.”

Before the game, Suns coach Earl Watson said Westbrook should win the 2017 NBA MVP award. Watson played for the Thunder and was previously a teammate of Westbrook’s and his biggest MVP competition, Houston Rockets guard James Harden.

Watson’s young Suns did everything in their power in the fourth quarter to keep Westbrook from getting the assists to set the triple-double record. The Suns defended hard, ran down the shot clock and even fouled Westbrook’s teammates over letting them make a shot for an assist.

The next of three remaining stops in Westbrook’s quest toward the triple-double record is the Rocky Mountains on Sunday against the Denver Nuggets.

Before an always introspective Watson departed victorious from Talking Stick Resort Arena, he went into the Suns’ practice gym to check on his “little brother” in Westbrook.

“He is so emotional that there is never enough time for him to calm down after a game,” Watson said of his fellow former UCLA star. “He puts so much into it physically. He goes to a place mentally where a lot of players cannot understand. He has to be, to be as impactful as he is and to do what he does.

“He doesn’t get enough time to calm down and have a conversation with him. He is really special and he will be with the biggest smile that ever exists. But unfortunately, the clips that are played and the interviews are not that Russ. I just think he is the MVP.”

About 45 minutes into Westbrook’s workout, most of the Thunder players had departed into a night of possible fun in Phoenix. Around that time, a stoic Thunder general manager Sam Presti entered the Suns’ practice gym to be the next person to check on his superstar.

Presti and the Thunder selected Westbrook with the fourth overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. Presti credited Thunder assistant general manager Troy Weaver for having foresight that Westbrook had star potential after two seasons at UCLA. Even with Weaver’s prediction, no one in the Thunder organization expected this explosion.

Westbrook is averaging an NBA-best 31.7 points, 10.7 rebounds and 10.4 assists per game.

“Nobody can say that they knew that Russell Westbrook would turn out to be a player like this, let’s not get it twisted,” Presti told The Undefeated. “I would say we made a big bet on his heart and felt that whatever potential he had in him, he was going to reach based on who he was as a human being. I feel equally as confident that Russell Westbrook, after he is finished playing basketball, that he will be a successful person. He has the qualities of a high-achieving individual and an intrinsic motivation that runs through his veins that is truly special.”

Westbrook eventually stopped bouncing the ball in the Suns’ practice gym, but remained there a little longer. He departed sans jersey and his Jordans while still donning his Thunder game shorts after being there for about an hour. Two of his very patient buddies greeted him once he finally left the practice and exchanged complicated handshakes before he told them he would be out shortly after getting showered and changed.

The renowned fashionista Westbrook eventually talked to the media wearing an “R.W.” hat and a fancy white T-shirt that read: “UNDER COVER MANIAC.” He used profanity to express his strong disdain for a question about whether he was fishing for assists as the Suns players suggested. He never blamed his teammates for not producing the needed assists in crunch time. For anyone listening, Westbrook believes the Thunder has the talent to win its first NBA title this season despite not being a top Western Conference seed. He said he wasn’t consumed with setting the NBA record for triple-doubles, but he does respect the history and accomplishment.

“You could never say in a million years that I would ever think that was even possible. For me to do it, it’s a blessing that I’m honored to be able to do in this game today at the highest level. It’s a true blessing. I’m just very thankful to be able to do it,” Westbrook said.

With media votes due Friday, there is a lot of MVP buzz about Westbrook as he has led the Thunder to a surprising 45 wins despite the departures of Durant and Serge Ibaka. Another notable Thunder topic is a possible first-round playoff matchup against MVP challenger Harden and the Rockets. But until the regular season ends, the focus is on Westbrook passing “The Big O.”

Even if Westbrook is shy of the NBA triple-double record entering Wednesday’s regular-season finale against the Nuggets, sources say Robertson will be there to celebrate however it all settles. There are also rumors that NBA commissioner Adam Silver may be at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City as well during the regular-season finale.

“If history is taking place, there is a plan as to how we try to recognize that. But only at the end point,” said Presti, without revealing any details. “Russell has led the charge in not taking the focus off the team and the winning. But there is also a time and place to recognize history, and we will do that.” </s> DENVER (AP) – Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook has broken Oscar Robertson’s NBA record with his 42nd triple-double of the season.

Westbrook had 23 points, 12 rebounds and six assists by halftime at Denver on Sunday. He got his 10th assist with 4:17 left in the fourth quarter.

Westbrook fed Semaj Christon in the right corner for a 3-pointer that pulled Oklahoma City to 101-91 and gave Westbrook his record.

Robertson’s record of 41 triple-doubles had stood since the 1961-62 season.

With averages of a league-leading 31.8 points, 10.7 rebounds and 10.4 assists, Westbrook will finish the season as the first player since Robertson in 1961-62 to average a triple-double for the season.

The Thunder have two more games left, at Minnesota and then at home against Denver, and coach Billy Donovan said before tip-off that it’ll be up to Westbrook whether he wants to sit one or both out in preparation for the NBA playoffs.

The Thunder will face the Houston Rockets, led by the league’s other MVP favorite, James Harden, in the first round. </s> Russell Westbrook enjoyed yet another magical night in a magical campaign as he broke the NBA's single-season record for triple-doubles and then hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer to give the Oklahoma City Thunder victory over the Denver Nuggets. Westbrook collected 50 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists to break Oscar Robertson's 56-year-old record with his 42nd triple-double of the season.

Start the conversation, or Read more at Droitwich Advertiser. </s> When Kevin Durant left the Oklahoma City Thunder last summer many experts expected the team to fall out of the Western Conference playoff picture the following season because Durant was such a huge part of the team and Oklahoma City would need time to rebuild after his departure. Apparently, they thought Russell Westbrook would just fall off the map and that he wasn’t good enough to lead a team. Westbrook proved his critics wrong during the 2016-17 NBA season by stepping up and leading not only his team but also the NBA in scoring as well as making history with a Triple Double season according to ESPN.

Last year Mark Cuban even went as far to say that Russell Westbrook is not a superstar. Well, with less than a week left in the regular season, the Oklahoma City Thunder are sitting in sixth place in the highly competitive NBA Western Conference with a 45-34 record. Westbrook has put his team on his back on the way to an absolutely historic season, becoming the first player since Oscar Robertson in 1962 to average a triple-double for the season. That’s a pretty spectacular feat for someone who isn’t a superstar.

Russell Westbrook has been in basically a two-man race for NBA MVP with James Harden all season long. There are some other candidates like LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard that may get a few votes but ultimately it comes down to Harden and Westbrook. When Westbrook got his sixth assist last night against the Phoenix Suns to become only the second player in NBA history to average a triple-double, he pretty much sealed the deal and closed the conversation on who should win the MVP this season. Instead of letting his team regress after the Kevin Durant saga, he kept them in contention and are now a playoff-bound organization.

Oklahoma City Thunder fans have reason to celebrate because not only is Russell Westbrook taking the entire league by storm but he also signed a contract extension guaranteeing he will be around to lead this franchise at least for a few more years. What Westbrook is doing as a 6-foot-3-inch point guard is pretty absurd when you step back and take a look at it. Not only is he averaging a triple-double but he is also leading the NBA in scoring. He’s grabbing more rebounds than quite a few starting NBA centers which is an absolutely amazing feat in its own right.

Russell Westbrook is the MVP hands down and it should not even be that close. The record for most triple-doubles in a season is currently 41, which Westbrook has already tied. He has three games left on the NBA schedule to break that record and chances are very high that he does. When asked about the triple-double season and his individual accomplishments Westbrook had this to say:

“I could never say in a million years that I would ever think that was even possible. For me to do it, it’s extremely a blessing. It’s something that I’m honored to be able to do, especially in this game today, at the highest level. It’s a blessing. I’m just very thankful and happy to be able to do it. My main goal since I got here, especially this season, is to win a championship. That’s what my goal is. As a leader of this team, I’ve got to make sure this team is moving in the right direction and I’m playing the way I need to play to make sure we’re playing the best basketball we need to play.”

Russell Westbrook’s historic season has definitely been something to behold and even the casual basketball fan has taken notice. He is already fourth all-time in career triple doubles with 78 tied with the great Wilt Chamberlain and that number is only going to continue to grow. The playoffs should be really entertaining this year with the way Westbrook is playing and he will not stop until the Oklahoma City Thunder are world champions. That moment could come sooner rather than later and there is nothing the NBA can do to stop it. </s> Oscar Robertson held the NBA’s triple-double record for too long to be bitter over losing it.

The Basketball Hall of Famer congratulated Russell Westbrook on Sunday after the Oklahoma City Thunder guard set the NBA’s single-season record for triple-doubles.

“I could not be happier for him,” Robertson wrote in The Undefeated. “Congratulations to Russell Westbrook on a magnificent season!

“I admire Westbrook’s all-around command of the game. He is a marvelous athlete who plays with intensity and flair and is exciting to watch. His performance this season is impressive. He would have been great in any era.”

Westbrook has recorded 42 triple-doubles this season. His averages of 31.7 points, 10.7 assists and 10.4 rebounds per game will make him the first player to average a triple-double for a season since Robertson did so in the 1961-62 season (when he averaged 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 11.4 assists per game).

Robertson also offered three reasons why he endorses Westbrook over James Harden, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard and others for this season’s MVP Award.

“1.) He took over the offense for the Oklahoma City Thunder after Kevin Durant’s blockbuster departure for the Golden State Warriors as a free agent changed the team’s composition;” Robertson wrote. “2.) This season, he beats any other guard in a head-to-head matchup; 3.) Most important, he should be rewarded for his outstanding play this season and his career-making individual accomplishments.”

As someone who did the unthinkable 55 years before Westbrook, Robertson’s assessment is difficult to refute. </s> Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook became the second player in the NBA, and the first in 55 years, to average a triple-double over an entire season on Friday.

Westbrook joined Hall of Famer Oscar ‘The Big O’ Robertson, an extraordinary guard in the days of dominant centres Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain, who averaged a triple-double in 1961-62.

Westbrook was averaging 31.8 points (first in the NBA), 10.7 rebounds (10th) and 10.4 assists (third) entering Friday’s game against the Phoenix Suns, leaving him six assists shy with four games left to secure the feat. He had collected them by the early part of the third quarter.

Robertson averaged 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 11.4 assists in 1961-62, and was seven rebounds short of doing it again two seasons later.

After high-scoring team-mate Kevin Durant left to join Golden State during the off-season, Westbrook was determined to pick up the slack, and the lightning quick, high-leaping guard has done just that in leading the Thunder to 45 wins.

Westbrook, the fourth overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft out of UCLA, is poised to eclipse Robertson’s single-season record of 41 triple-doubles after matching the mark on April 4. He has three games left in the regular season.

Westbrook finished with 23 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists in the Thunder’s 120-99 loss to the Suns on Friday. </s> (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey). Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook stretches before a game against the Denver Nuggets Sunday, April 9, 2017, in Denver.

(AP Photo/Jack Dempsey). An Oklahoma City Thunder fan shows the Russell Westbrook triple double history board during the first half of a basketball game against the Denver Nuggets Sunday, April 9, 2017, in Denver.

(AP Photo/Jack Dempsey). Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook takes a shot over Denver Nuggets forward Nikola Jokic (15) during the first half of a basketball game Sunday, April 9, 2017, in Denver.

DENVER (AP) - Russell Westbrook broke Oscar Robertson's 56-year-old record with his 42nd triple-double of the season Sunday, then he broke the Denver Nuggets' hearts with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer for a 106-105 victory.

That eliminated the Nuggets from playoff contention.

Westbrook had 50 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists in breaking Robertson's record of 41 triple-doubles that stood since the 1961-62 season.

Westbrook's record-breaking assist came with 4:17 remaining after a series of missed shots delayed his historic moment

With his triple-double in the books, Westbrook scored his team's final 13 points, including a 3-pointer as the buzzer sounded after a timeout with 2.9 seconds left.

Kyle Single inbounded the ball to Steven Adams, who fed Westbrook for the winner.

Danilo Gallinari scored 22 of his season-high 34 points in the third quarter to lead the Nuggets, who were hoping to take the race with Portland for the final Western Conference playoff spot down to the final two games.

Before tip-off, Nuggets coach Michael Malone said he wouldn't care if Westbrook broke the record so long as it came in a loss.

"I want to win. That's the most important thing for me is if we get a win and he breaks the record, gets a triple-double, so be it," Malone said. "I think the most important analytical stat out there is wins and we need to win today if we want to continue to go on this road trip and play meaningful basketball for the last two games."

The Nuggets then blew their double-digit lead by allowing Westbrook to score the game's final eight points.

The Thunder is locked into the sixth seed and will face Houston in the first round of the playoffs in a showdown between Westbrook and his chief rival for the MVP award, Rockets point guard James Harden.

Westbrook had 23 points, a dozen boards and half a dozen assists by the time the Thunder went to the locker room trailing 53-52 at halftime at the Pepsi Center.

Westbrook nearly had his 10th assist with two minutes left in the third quarter but Enes Kanter lost the handle going up for the basket and Westbrook took a seat until the fourth quarter.

Upon his return, Westbrook again fed Kanter, who took several steps on his way to the basket and was whistled for traveling with 8:20 left.

With the crowd again on its feet anticipating history, Westbrook passed to Domatas Sabonis, whose jumper rimmed out at 7:16. Sabonis missed another short jumper with 5:39 left that would have given Westbrook the record.

Finally, Westbrook fed Semaj Christon in the right corner for a 3-pointer that pulled the Thunder to 101-91 and gave Westbrook his record.

Thunder: F Doug McDermott was a late scratch with a sore left knee. ... Coach Billy Donovan said it'll be up to Westbrook if he wants to rest during one or both of the Thunder's final two games. Donovan said he'll defer to his players, who might choose rhythm over rest.

Nuggets: Denver was without F Kenneth Faried (back) and G Jameer Nelson (right calf) but G Emmanuel Mudiay returned from a swollen right ankle.

Thunder: Wrap up their four-game trip at Minnesota on Tuesday night before finishing against Denver on Wednesday night.

Nuggets: Visit Dallas Tuesday on the first night of a back-to-back to end their season.

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In basketball, Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder ensures that he will average a triple-double for the 2016–17 NBA season in the Thunder's game against the Phoenix Suns. He becomes only the second NBA player to average a triple-double over a season, after Oscar Robertson with the Cincinnati Royals (now known as the Sacramento Kings) in 1961–62.