Russell Westbrook is a divisive player among fans, mainly because he sometimes takes on too much of the offensive burden when he has one of the game’s greatest pure scorers in Kevin Durant usually playing right along side him.
There’s no doubting Westbrook’s athleticism and talent, however, and he put up a statistical line that was one for the ages in the Thunder’s win over the Jazz on Friday.
Westbrook finished with 23 points, 13 rebounds, eight assists, and seven steals. The excellent Basketball Reference has a complete database of player game logs that dates back to the 1985-86 season, and Westbrook’s line was unmatched by anyone during that time -- a period of 27 years.
If you want to nitpick his 6-of-18 shooting, on a night where Durant was a more efficient 8-of-13, be my guest. But it’s silly, especially on a night where the game was never in doubt for the Thunder, and when Westbrook was busting it all over the court on both sides of the ball to make things happen.
Westbrook will always have his critics, due to his fearless style of play that sometimes gets away from him to the detriment of his team’s best interests. But those occasions are becoming fewer and further between as his career progresses, and an historic performance like this one will only help in continuing to silence his detractors.
