Westbrook Makes History in Thunder Loss to Suns
Russell Westbrook has had a historic season and it was made official on Friday night, as he ensured that he will be just the second player to average a triple-double in a season. Despite that, he fell two assists short of breaking Oscar Robertson's single-season triple-double record, as his Oklahoma City Thunder fell to the Phoenix Suns, 120-99. The Suns snapped a 13-game losing streak, as they were led by young scorer Devin Booker, who finished with 37 points on the night. Booker scored 21 of his team's 25 fourth-quarter points, helping Phoenix stay ahead of OKC after holding a 23-point halftime lead. Westbrook finished with 23 points on 6-of-25 shooting, along with 12 rebounds and eight assists, but turned the ball over eight times in the loss. The star point guard needed six assists to ensure that he would join Oscar Robertson as the only players to average a triple-double in a season. Robertson did so in the 1961-62 campaign, when he averaged 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 11.4 assists.
Hawks Record Another Impressive Win Over Cavs
Just one night after taking care of the Boston Celtics on their home floor, the Atlanta Hawks went on the road Friday night and got past the Cleveland Cavaliers, 114-100. Tim Hardaway Jr. had 22 points, including 15 in the fourth, helping Atlanta pull away to secure the win. The Hawks outscored the Cavs, 31-22, in the final 12 minutes, to pull off the upset despite resting four key starters. Mike Dunleavy led the Hawks against the team that traded him for Kyle Korver earlier this season, putting up 20 points in the win. With the victory, Atlanta remains ahead of the Milwaukee Bucks for fifth place in the East. LeBron James had 27 points, while Kyrie Irving added 18 for Cleveland, who fell despite holding a two-point lead in the fourth quarter. It should be interesting to see this Atlanta team go against the defending champs with their starters on the floor, as they will do battle again in Atlanta on Sunday.
Brewers Walk-Off Against Cubs on Wild Pitch
The Milwaukee Brewers got their first taste of the defending World Series champs on Friday night, and did battle with them through 11 innings. In the end, it was Ryan Braun scoring on a wild pitch that lifted the Brew-Crew past the Chicago Cubs, 2-1. Mike Montgomery threw the wild pitch for the Cubs, who hit into crucial double plays in the 10th and 11th innings. Reliever Jared Hughes earned the win after throwing 1.2 innings of scoreless baseball. The Cubs have begun their title defense by splitting their first four games, as key offensive star, Kris Bryant, broke out of a season-opening 0-for-14 slump with an infield single on Friday. Ben Zobrist's second-inning home run provided the only offense for the Cubs on the night. Milwaukee then tied the game in the sixth, before winning it in thrilling fashion. Both starters pitched well, including Brett Anderson making his Cubs' debut with four strikeouts over 5.2 innings. Jimmy Nelson struck out eight over six innings for the Brewers, who earned a tough win after dropping three of four to the Colorado Rockies to begin their season.
Russell Westbrook has had a historic season and it was made official on Friday night, as he ensured that he will be just the second player to average a triple-double in a season. Despite that, he fell two assists short of breaking Oscar Robertson's single-season triple-double record, as his Oklahoma City Thunder fell to the Phoenix Suns, 120-99. The Suns snapped a 13-game losing streak, as they were led by young scorer Devin Booker, who finished with 37 points on the night. Booker scored 21 of his team's 25 fourth-quarter points, helping Phoenix stay ahead of OKC after holding a 23-point halftime lead. Westbrook finished with 23 points on 6-of-25 shooting, along with 12 rebounds and eight assists, but turned the ball over eight times in the loss. The star point guard needed six assists to ensure that he would join Oscar Robertson as the only players to average a triple-double in a season. Robertson did so in the 1961-62 campaign, when he averaged 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 11.4 assists.
Hawks Record Another Impressive Win Over Cavs
Just one night after taking care of the Boston Celtics on their home floor, the Atlanta Hawks went on the road Friday night and got past the Cleveland Cavaliers, 114-100. Tim Hardaway Jr. had 22 points, including 15 in the fourth, helping Atlanta pull away to secure the win. The Hawks outscored the Cavs, 31-22, in the final 12 minutes, to pull off the upset despite resting four key starters. Mike Dunleavy led the Hawks against the team that traded him for Kyle Korver earlier this season, putting up 20 points in the win. With the victory, Atlanta remains ahead of the Milwaukee Bucks for fifth place in the East. LeBron James had 27 points, while Kyrie Irving added 18 for Cleveland, who fell despite holding a two-point lead in the fourth quarter. It should be interesting to see this Atlanta team go against the defending champs with their starters on the floor, as they will do battle again in Atlanta on Sunday.
Brewers Walk-Off Against Cubs on Wild Pitch
The Milwaukee Brewers got their first taste of the defending World Series champs on Friday night, and did battle with them through 11 innings. In the end, it was Ryan Braun scoring on a wild pitch that lifted the Brew-Crew past the Chicago Cubs, 2-1. Mike Montgomery threw the wild pitch for the Cubs, who hit into crucial double plays in the 10th and 11th innings. Reliever Jared Hughes earned the win after throwing 1.2 innings of scoreless baseball. The Cubs have begun their title defense by splitting their first four games, as key offensive star, Kris Bryant, broke out of a season-opening 0-for-14 slump with an infield single on Friday. Ben Zobrist's second-inning home run provided the only offense for the Cubs on the night. Milwaukee then tied the game in the sixth, before winning it in thrilling fashion. Both starters pitched well, including Brett Anderson making his Cubs' debut with four strikeouts over 5.2 innings. Jimmy Nelson struck out eight over six innings for the Brewers, who earned a tough win after dropping three of four to the Colorado Rockies to begin their season.
