NEW YORK _ Russell Westbrook has been a man on a mission all season, and he put on a show at Madison Square Garden on Monday night. But he also got help from some of his biggest friends.
Derrick Rose wasn't as lucky.
Westbrook recorded his third straight triple-double, and the Thunder dominated the Knicks inside. They ended the Knicks' six-game home win streak with a 112-103 victory that ended with the Garden crowd booing after Carmelo Anthony missing a 3-pointer in the closing seconds.
Anthony had a terrible shooting night. He was 4-for-19 and didn't make a field goal in the fourth as the Knicks (8-9) slipped under .500 again.
Westbrook finished with 27 points, 18 rebounds and 14 assists, giving him an NBA-leading eight. The rest of the players in the NBA totaled eight entering Monday night. He was one assist shy of notching the triple-double in the first half. Westbrook ultimately recorded it early in the third quarter, and is now averaging one on the season _ 30.9 points, 11.3 assists and 10.3 rebounds.
"He did it all," Jeff Hornacek said of Westbrook. "He made big plays. The guy's a great player. He played another great game."
Rose had his best game as a Knick. He scored 30 and grabbed seven rebounds. Kristaps Porzingis added 21 and Anthony scored 18.
As spectacular as Westbrook was, the Knicks also had major problems containing Thunder big men Enes Kanter and Steven Adams.
"They outmuscled us and they outhustled us," Hornacek said. "We [said] you're going to have to hit them and hit them hard. They were just tougher than us."
Kanter matched Westbrook with 27 points off the bench and pulled down 10 rebounds; Adams had 14 points and 10 rebounds. The Thunder outrebounded the Knicks 53-40 and outscored the Knicks by 10 in second-chance points.
"Adams and Kanter had a little nastiness to them. That's where our bigs have to get where you're not afraid to knock a guy down."
After trailing by 10 early in the fourth, the Knicks closed to 101-99 on a Courtney Lee 3-pointer with 4:27 left. They had a chance to tie it after Joakim Noah stuffed Westbrook inside. But Victor Oladipo blocked Rose's jump shot.
That led to an Andre Roberson 3-pointer off an assist from Westbrook to make it 104-99 with 3:47 remaining. After two Anthony foul shots brought the Knicks within three, Westbrook scored inside on a finger roll.
A Porzingis turnover proved costly as Kanter scored on an offensive rebound. After Rose and Noah both missed inside Kanter scored again in transition to make it 110-101. Two more Anthony foul shots made it a seven-point game. But it was Kanter who hurt the Knicks again, tapping in an offensive rebound for the game's final points with 1:34 left.
"There wasn't any grit," Rose said. "There wasn't any grind. We can't come out and play like that period."
Hornacek played with all-time great players John Stockton and Karl Malone, but he marvels at what Westbrook is doing.
"You just got to love the way the guy plays," the Knicks coach said before the game. "He lays it out there every night. There are games I'm watching and he's got sweat coming down, stuff drooling out of his mouth and he's just so intense on the game. Every coach would love to have guys for all 48 minutes or whatever time they're out there, the guy's just laying it out there like it's the last play of the game. You got to love that.
"He's fun to watch just because of the things he can do that not many guys can."
Hornacek couldn't have enjoyed watching Westbrook on Monday night when he nearly recorded a triple-double in the first half. And many of his box score-stuffing stats came after he picked up two fouls in the first eight minutes of the game.
Westbrook had 14 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists in less than 19 first-half minutes to help the Thunder take a 58-55 lead at the break.
The Knicks were up by 10 in the second quarter before Westbrook led the Thunder back. In the last 5:27 of the half, he grabbed six rebounds, had five assists and scored two points. Westbrook was responsible for six of the Thunder's last seven baskets.
The Thunder shot 15-for-27 and scored 34 points in the second quarter. Westbrook caused them fits, but the Knicks' big men _ Porzingis, Willy Hernangomez and Noah _ struggled with the very active Kanter. He was 6-for-8 with 13 points in the second
The Knicks went the final 6:03 of the first half without a field goal. They missed their last 12 shots and were outscored 16-6 in that time.
It turned into a 22-6 run as Oklahoma City scored the first six points of the third and Westbrook got his triple-double when he fed Victor Oladipo for a fast-break dunk that made it 64-55.
The Knicks cut it to 74-72 and had a chance to tie it, but Noah missed two foul shots. On the other end, Westbrook drove, scored and was fouled. His free throw put the Knicks in a five-point hole.
