The weird, wild and entertaining Russell Westbrook
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In my last Player Production Average update, the Wizards were four games into what would become an eight-game winning streak. Unsurprisingly for a team that won four of five since, several players in the rotation had significant production increases.
Biggest improvers among rotation players:
Daniel Gafford 128 to 144 +14
Raul Neto 78 to 87 +9
Bradley Beal 154 to 160 +6
Davis Bertans 75 to 81 +6
Beal’s jump is the most impressive because he added 6 points to his PPA with more than 1,700 minutes already on the odometer.
The team’s biggest leap honors go to Anthony Gill, whose PPA improved a whopping 49 points after having by far the best half of his career in the team’s loss to the Spurs. In #SoBrooks fashion, Gill didn’t play in the second half of THE BEST GAME OF HIS CAREER.
PHOTO: AP
OKLAHOMA CITY Russell Westbrook had another triple-double in his return to Oklahoma City, and the Washington Wizards beat the Thunder, 129-109, on Friday night (Saturday, Manila time) for their seventh straight win.
Westbrook finished with 37 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists his fourth straight triple-double and his 14th in 16 games.
It was just the kind of night he routinely had during his 11 seasons with the Thunder. He was league MVP in 2017 and was a two-time scoring champion and perennial All-Star in Oklahoma City before the team traded him two seasons ago.
Westbrook has 174 triple-doubles in his career and is closing in on Oscar Robertson s career record of 181. He has 28 triple-doubles this season.
Photo by Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images
Accolades for the Wizards seventh consecutive win are being doled out to Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal. Deservedly in Westbrook’s case he was terrific. Less so for Beal, although the guard did finish with 33 points.
What won the game for the Wizards was a stifling second half defense against the league’s least efficient offense.
In the first half, the Wizards were lackadaisical on defense and the 30th ranked Oklahoma City offense got an array of open looks and free runs at the basket, which they converted. At the break, the Thunder had a .577 effective field goal percentage and a 133 offensive rating (points per possession x 100).
Westbrook has 174 triple-doubles in his career and is closing in on Oscar Robertson’s career record of 181. He has 28 triple-doubles this season.
Bradley Beal added 33 points for the Wizards. He entered the night just behind Golden State’s Stephen Curry for the league scoring lead.
Darius Bazley and Theo Maledon each scored 20 points and Isaiah Roby and Lu Dort each added 18 for Oklahoma City, which lost its 13th straight - one short of the Thunder record.
Washington led 70-68 at halftime behind Westbrook‘s 22 points, seven assists and six rebounds. He made 8 of 12 shots before the break.
The Wizards opened the second half on a 10-2 run. Westbrook collected his 10th assist on a pass to Beal for a 3-pointer that put the Wizards up 85-71.
Westbrook s triple-double lifts Wizards to 7th straight win
Russell Westbrook had another triple-double in his return to Oklahoma City, and the Washington Wizards beat the Thunder 129-109 on Friday night for their seventh straight win.
The Canadian Press
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OKLAHOMA CITY Russell Westbrook had another triple-double in his return to Oklahoma City, and the Washington Wizards beat the Thunder 129-109 on Friday night for their seventh straight win.
Westbrook finished with 37 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists his fourth straight triple-double and his 14th in 16 games.
It was just the kind of night he routinely had during his 11 seasons with the Thunder. He was league MVP in 2017 and was a two-time scoring champion and perennial All-Star in Oklahoma City before the team traded him two seasons ago.