Westbrook Puts Up Perfect Triple-Double in Thunder Win
Putting up a triple-double has become a regular thing for Russell Westbrook, but he switched it up a little bit on Wednesday night. Westbrook became the first player to shoot perfect from the field and the free throw line in a triple-double, as the Oklahoma City Thunder cruised past the Philadelphia 76ers, 122-97. He finished with 18 points, 11 rebounds, and 14 assists in his 35 triple-double of the year, while also shooting 6-for-6 from the floor, and 6-for-6 from the free throw line. During this performance, he was more smart about his shot selection, including not putting up a three-pointer for the first time since March of 2014. OKC has now won 16 straight against the Sixers, as they outrebounded them by a large margin, 54-25. Nik Stauskas had 20 points in the loss for Philly, as he reached 20 points in consecutive games for the first time in his career.
Cavs Fall to Nuggets on the Road
LeBron James has been taking heat for sitting out over the weekend, but he may take some more heat for his poor performance on Wednesday night. James finished with a plus/minus of -30 in a 126-113 Cavaliers loss to the Nuggets in Denver, which is good for the third lowest in his career. The Nuggets finished the game on a 19-3 run in the win, while also outscoring the Cavs, 70-30, in the paint. Kyrie Irving had 33 points to lead Cleveland in the loss, while James had just 18 points. The Cavs fall to 18-17 on the road, and following the Celtics' win over the Pacers, their lead for the top spot in the East drops to one game. Wilson Chandler had 18 points in his return from a groin injury, as the Nuggets increased their lead to 1.5 games over the Trail Blazers for the final playoff spot in the West. Gary Harris led the scoring for Denver with 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field. The Nuggets sit three games under .500 overall, but improved to 21-17 on their home floor this season.
Gobert Has Career Night in Jazz Win
The Utah Jazz are on the brink of clinching a playoff spot, and Rudy Gobert inched them that much closer on Wednesday night. The big man went off for a career-high 35 points, leading the Jazz past the New York Knicks, 108-101. Gobert also grabbed 13 rebounds, as the Jazz rallied from a 13-point deficit, moving their magic number to one to clinch a playoff spot in the West. Utah snapped a three-game losing streak, while also sending the Knicks to their third straight defeat. Gobert was also very efficient from the floor, connecting on 11-of-13 shots, as 11 of his 13 rebounds were offensive. Gordon Hayward had 19 points of his own in the win, helping Utah improve to 24-12 on their home floor. Kristaps Porzingis led the Knicks with 24 points in their 44th loss of the season.
Putting up a triple-double has become a regular thing for Russell Westbrook, but he switched it up a little bit on Wednesday night. Westbrook became the first player to shoot perfect from the field and the free throw line in a triple-double, as the Oklahoma City Thunder cruised past the Philadelphia 76ers, 122-97. He finished with 18 points, 11 rebounds, and 14 assists in his 35 triple-double of the year, while also shooting 6-for-6 from the floor, and 6-for-6 from the free throw line. During this performance, he was more smart about his shot selection, including not putting up a three-pointer for the first time since March of 2014. OKC has now won 16 straight against the Sixers, as they outrebounded them by a large margin, 54-25. Nik Stauskas had 20 points in the loss for Philly, as he reached 20 points in consecutive games for the first time in his career.
Cavs Fall to Nuggets on the Road
LeBron James has been taking heat for sitting out over the weekend, but he may take some more heat for his poor performance on Wednesday night. James finished with a plus/minus of -30 in a 126-113 Cavaliers loss to the Nuggets in Denver, which is good for the third lowest in his career. The Nuggets finished the game on a 19-3 run in the win, while also outscoring the Cavs, 70-30, in the paint. Kyrie Irving had 33 points to lead Cleveland in the loss, while James had just 18 points. The Cavs fall to 18-17 on the road, and following the Celtics' win over the Pacers, their lead for the top spot in the East drops to one game. Wilson Chandler had 18 points in his return from a groin injury, as the Nuggets increased their lead to 1.5 games over the Trail Blazers for the final playoff spot in the West. Gary Harris led the scoring for Denver with 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field. The Nuggets sit three games under .500 overall, but improved to 21-17 on their home floor this season.
Gobert Has Career Night in Jazz Win
The Utah Jazz are on the brink of clinching a playoff spot, and Rudy Gobert inched them that much closer on Wednesday night. The big man went off for a career-high 35 points, leading the Jazz past the New York Knicks, 108-101. Gobert also grabbed 13 rebounds, as the Jazz rallied from a 13-point deficit, moving their magic number to one to clinch a playoff spot in the West. Utah snapped a three-game losing streak, while also sending the Knicks to their third straight defeat. Gobert was also very efficient from the floor, connecting on 11-of-13 shots, as 11 of his 13 rebounds were offensive. Gordon Hayward had 19 points of his own in the win, helping Utah improve to 24-12 on their home floor. Kristaps Porzingis led the Knicks with 24 points in their 44th loss of the season.
