Russell Westbrook recorded his ninth straight triple-double Saturday night to help the Thunder to a 117-112 win over the Houston Rockets but it was his offensive struggles that were a topic of conversation afterward.
So, Paul George was quick to defend his teammate.
Westbrook scored 21 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in the win but shot just 8-of-21 from the field and 1-of-5 from 3-point range as his field-goal percentage on the season dropped to 41.5.
“We gotta stop with the narrative about Russ not doing well or Russ not having a good night,” George said. “He’s doing everything. Russ is doing everything for this team. We just play hard. We rally behind Russ. Russ is a heck of a teammate, a heck of a competitor. It’s not going to be his night sometimes offensively shooting the ball but he does so much. I knew I had to step it up and help him out. Got in a good rhythm, he found me and I just took over.”
While his offensive woes were front and center after the game, Westbrook tied Wilt Chamberlain for the most consecutive triple-doubles in NBA history and can set the record Monday night at home.
As Westbrook even pointed out, his game is predicated on setting up his teammates and making other plays to help his team win and he certainly did that Saturday night against the Rockets.
Given his style of play, some around the league and those watching the game are quick to criticize Westbrook for a variety of reasons but he has become one of the best in the game and the Thunder have been successful as a result.
The Thunder are 101-24 all-time when Westbrook has a triple-double.
