Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook broke more than the NBA record for the most triple-doubles in a season on Sunday with his 50 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists. The MVP candidate broke Oscar Robertson‘s record, which stood for 55 years, but he also broke the Denver Nuggets’ hearts by eliminating them from the playoffs with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer at Pepsi Center. The Thunder earned their 46th victory of the season with the 106-105 score.
Westbrook needed just one assist in the game’s final quarter to record his 42nd triple-double of the season, but instead he went for 18 points (and the assist) in the quarter to end Denver’s slim hopes of playing beyond April 12. With the loss, Denver fell two games (and tiebreakers) back of the Portland Trail Blazers with just two games remaining in the season. Westbrook’s triple-double Sunday was the 79th of his career and moved him past Wilt Chamberlain for fourth all time.
Danilo Gallinari scored a season-high 34 points for Denver, including 22 in the third quarter, but the Nuggets could muster just 14 points as a team in the entire fourth quarter. Denver squandered a 10-point lead in the game’s final frame. Nikola Jokic had 23 points and Wilson Chandler scored 17 and had 10 rebounds in the loss.
Denver will face Oklahoma City again on Wednesday in the season finale after playing in Dallas on Tuesday. With Oklahoma City’s playoff fate already decided – the Thunder will face Houston in the first round – it may be Westbrook’s final triple-double of the season.
