Harden drops 41, Westbrook triple-doubles as Rockets edge Thunder
How 'bout one more.
In a thrilling 115-112 loss to the Houston Rockets on Sunday, Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook notched his 11th triple-double of the season. That's eight more than anybody else in the NBA has managed.
It's also the ninth triple-double since the All-Star break for Westbrook, tying Grant Hill for second-most all time, and the seventh time this season he's triple-doubled with at least 30 points. (Michael Jordan owns the record in both categories.)
Westbrook finished with 40 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists in the loss.
Rockets shooting guard James Harden was arguably even more impressive, shredding his former team for 41 points on 12-of-22 shooting and 6-of-9 from deep, hitting big shot after big shot down the stretch to help the Rockets escape with the win.
It was Harden's league-leading 10th 40-point game of the season.
Injured Thunder superstar Kevin Durant could only watch in anguish.
The Rockets got off to a blazing start in this one, leaving the Thunder to play catch-up virtually from the get-go.
After getting a minutes bump in his fifth game back from a 26-game layoff, Dwight Howard looked like his old self, controlling the glass, doing work on the block and catching and converting a series of early alley-oops.
Howard finished with 22 points and eight boards in just 23 minutes.
It helped that he was frequently matched up against Enes Kanter, who scored 21 points and pulled down 17 rebounds (10 on the offensive glass!) for the Thunder, but was consistently abused on defense.
But the fourth quarter was all about Westbrook and Harden, going toe-to-toe right up until Harden fouled out with under a minute to play.
A hail of desperation threes kept the Thunder alive late, including a huge one from Anthony Morrow, who was 6-of-8 from deep in the game, but a last-ditch Westbrook heave from 35 feet came up well short, and the Rockets walked off victorious.
It was the third straight loss for the Thunder, who are now just a half-game up on the New Orleans Pelicans for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
That puts them in dangerous territory; the Pelicans have already clinched the tiebreaker - thanks, Anthony Davis - and the Thunder are starting to look worn down from having to compensate for their relentless spate of injuries.
Something else to keep an eye on: Westbrook picked up his 15th technical foul in this game, meaning that his next T will come with a one-game suspension.