Washington: Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook moved past Wilt Chamberlain for the second-most triple doubles in an NBA season on Saturday in the Thunder’s 112-104 win over visiting Utah.
Westbrook collected his 32nd triple double of the 2016-17 campaign with 33 points, 11 rebounds and 14 assists — his third triple double against the Jazz this season.
That’s the most NBA games with double-digit totals in three or more statistical categories in more than half a century.
To match the NBA record, Westbrook has 16 games remaining this season to manage nine more triple-doubles and equal the all-time mark of 41 set by Oscar Robertson in the 1961-62 campaign.
That season by Robertson, known as “The Big O” in his heyday, was also the only campaign when an NBA player averaged a triple double over an entire season.
Robertson averaged 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 11.4 assists a game over 79 contests in the 1961-62 season. He narrowly missed the feat the season before as a rookie, managing 9.7 assists a game, and again in the 1963-64 campaign with 9.9 rebounds foiling his bid.
Westbrook leads the NBA with 31.9 points a game this season, ranks 12th with an average of 10.5 rebounds and ranks third in assists with 10.1 a game over 66 appearances for the Thunder (37-29).
Westbrook reached his triple double Saturday in the first few minutes of the third quarter before he was taken out with Oklahoma City leading by 20 points.
