Written by Royce Young at ESPN.com
A week after recording the first “perfect” triple-double, Russell Westbrook put another mark in the NBA history books Wednesday with the most points in a triple-double.
Westbrook scored 57 points and added 13 rebounds and 11 assists in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 114-106 overtime win over the Orlando Magic, topping James Harden and Wilt Chamberlain, who each scored 53 points in a triple-double.
“That is definitely a blessing,” Westbrook told reporters of his historic night in Orlando, Florida. “I definitely don’t take this game for granted, and I try to come out each night and try to compete at a high level. That is definitely something that is a blessing and definitely something that I can be proud of.”
It is Westbrook’s second 50-point triple-double this season, and he joins Harden for the most in the league this season. Before this season, a 50-point triple-double hadn’t been done since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1975.
On March 22, Westbrook became the first player to record a triple-double while going perfect from the floor (6-for-6) and the free throw line (6-for-6), finishing with 18 points, 11 rebounds and 14 assists in a Thunder win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Against the Magic, Westbrook had 36 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists after halftime, including 19 points in the fourth quarter. The Thunder overcame a 21-point third-quarter deficit for their largest comeback since the franchise moved to Oklahoma City, with Westbrook forcing overtime with a wild, fading 31-foot 3 with seven seconds left.
“I didn’t know [it was going in],” Westbrook said. “I couldn’t see right away because two people jumped.”
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