Top 10 of Russell Westbrook's triple doubles

With Russell Westbrook closing in on 100 triple doubles for his career, it is only fitting that we look back on what has been a stellar career so far of stuffing the stat sheet. Say what you will about Russ, his style of play, or free rebounds you think he gets, you cannot deny the relentlessness and effort that he plays with night in and night out that allows many of these triple doubles to come to fruition. He currently sits fourth with 97 career triple doubles, and should easily hit 100 by the end of the season, if not by the end of March. What follows is a list of 10 of the most memorable triple doubles in his career.

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#10 March 4th, 2014 vs Philadelphia

This is not the most eye-popping triple-double that Russ has recorded as he finished with 13 points, 10 rebounds, and 14 assists, a Jason Kidd triple double if you will, but what makes this stand out is that it was the second fastest triple double to date in NBA history. Westbrook accomplished his feat in just 20:17 minutes as the Oklahoma City Thunder destroyed a Trust the Process Sixers team.

Russ took just 9 shots, making 4 total, a number you don't usually see from the hyper-aggressive Westbrook. He did have 6 turnovers, but this can be shrugged off as it was only his 6th game back after missing 27 games with knee injury. Not many players in the league can find their groove when coming off an injury as quickly as Westbrook, but this game shows just how breathtaking he can be in a short amount of time.

#9 March 9th, 2016 vs Los Angeles Clippers

On this night, Russ got the best of Chris Paul in one of their many battles

The Thunder had quite a rivalry with the Clippers a few years back and specifically watching Russ do battle vs Chris Paul was always a treat for basketball fans. This was one of those games where Westbrook overwhelmed Paul with his length and athleticism notching 25 points, 11 rebounds, and 19 assists. He was also as efficient as they come, hitting 9-15 from the field and a perfect 7-7 from the free throw line.

This was not only a fabulous game for Russ, but much needed as the two teams were jockeying for playoff position with just over a month to play in the season. This is one of those games you always wish Russ would play, controlled shooting of the ball, picking his spots but not letting his aggressiveness force shots while distributing the ball with aplomb. You will see later on the list triple doubles with insane scoring totals, but the 19 assists in this game forced me to make room for this game.

#8 May 3rd, 2014 vs Memphis

Westbrook closes out the Grizzlies with a fabulous triple double

This is the only playoff triple double to make the list and what a clutch triple double it was. The Thunder were in the midst of one of the toughest series they ever had in the Russ-KD era, being pushed to the brink by the Grit and Grind Grizzlies and facing game 7 at home after rallying to win game 6 on the road. Russ came out and laid the smack down throwing up 27 points on 62% shooting (5-6 free throws), with 10 rebounds and 16 assists.

Games like these build the cult of Russ. Back against the wall, need him to step up and dominate, and he shows up with even more than you could ask for. This was one of those series where people began questioning if Russ and Kevin Durant were ever going to be the perfect fit, but with Russ' ridiculous triple double and KD dropping 33 points and 8 rebounds on 67% shooting, we were ensured another year of watching these two dominant players play together.

#7 February 15th, 2017 vs New York

Russ sizes up the New York defense deciding whether to shoot or pass

Now we start getting into those truly eye-popping games that make the greatness of Russ hard to deny and fun to argue with certain detractors. This game in the midst of his MVP winning season where he averaged a triple double and broke the record for most triple doubles in a season. Playing against a lowly Knicks team, he dropped 38 points on 13-22 shooting (3-5 from three, 9-13 from the line), 14 rebounds, and 12 assists.

This was a game where the Thunder really needed Russ to lead the way, as they were facing an early 12 point deficit after the first quarter. From that point, Russ took over and began to relentlessly attack the rim, not settling for threes and forcing the Knicks to defend the paint. It worked as he quickly broke down the porous defense and by the second half was creating easy lanes for himself and his teammates to attack. This game was especially important as the Thunder couldn't afford to lose this game as they began the 2nd half push for a high playoff seed.

#6 February 3rd, 2017 vs Memphis

Westbrook shoots over an outstretched Marc Gasol

This next game happened just 12 days before the Knicks triple double and the beginning of the dominance of the 2016-2017 season on the rest of this list. One of the reasons this game is ranked higher than the Knicks game is the fact that Memphis was a playoff team and a team the Thunder were specifically battling with for a playoff seed. Westbrook was able to will the Thunder to victory, triggering a huge 4th quarter that provided the winning margin for the Thunder.

Westbrook threw up 38 points, 13 rebounds, and 12 assists and while he wasn't terribly efficient from the field, making only 8 of 20 shots, he got to the line 17 times and made every single one of them. Many detractors of Russ's game will point to his generally inefficient shooting from the field compared to other high scorers, but when calculating efficiency, you can't overlook how many times he gets to the line and how many he knocks down. Westbrook controlled this game down the stretch by continually attacking and forcing the Grizzlies to foul him, slowing the game down and allowing his team to set their defense on the other end.

#5 December 23rd 2016 vs Boston

Isaiah Thomas and the Celtics were no match for the Russ train

From here on out you will see nothing but 40+ point triple doubles on the list, something that was rare until Russ went inferno in 2016-2017. He led the Thunder to a victory over the eventual one seed in the Eastern Conference, throwing up 45 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists. This is impressive against a team that was clearly better than the Thunder over the course of the season, exhibiting just how much the dominance of Russ' will levels the playing field in any game.

He shot 13-25 from the field, a hyper-efficient 5-7 from three, and 14-16 from the charity stripe. This game is evidence of how impossible Russ is to defend when his outside shot is locked in but he's still aggressive. At times, Russ has the propensity to fall in love with his jumper from deep, even when it's not working, but on this night he was able to shoot efficiently from deep without extending his volume. When Russ matches patience, hot outside shooting, and continual drives to the hoop, he is truly an impossible guard.

#4 November 13th, 2016 vs Orlando

Russ throwing down a one-handed jam vs Orlando.

Generally, when looking for great games people gravitate towards performances where their team wins, but on this list sometimes the performance trumps the team result. While Thunder lost this game by two vs the eventual lowly Thunder, Westbrook's performance was simply fantastic and could not be overlooked. He scored 41 points on 14-21 shooting (13-18 from the free throw line), 12 rebounds, and 16 assists. The Thunder needed everything they could get from Westbrook as they were working with several new players and trying to find their identity post Kevin Durant.

Not many people have been able to combine an aggressive scoring punch and sublime assists totals like Westbrook in NBA history, which really makes this game stand out. To get 41 points and 16 assists while only registering two turnovers is really a unique game. Westbrook shouldered such a load in this game and still managed to be hyper-efficient in both shooting and passing, something that should never be lost on people who look to detract greatly from his game.

#3 March 29th, 2017 vs Orlando

The three to force overtime

Next on the list is the return game vs Orlando in the 2016-2017 season and if you thought Russ was great against them early in the season, this game was truly unbelievable. Before we get to the stat line, let's talk about the defining play of this game. With 14 seconds left, Nikola Vucevic missed his second free throw from the line keeping the Magic lead at 102-99. Russ grabbed the rebound, went brought the ball up the court and drained the game-tying three over two Magic defenders to force overtime. If a game later on the list didn't happen, this probably would have been the defining sequence of Russ' historic season.

Now to the stat line, where Russ threw up 57 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists. He shot 21-40 from the field, including 6-15 from three, and 9-11 from the line. Just the sheer amount of shots Russ took on this night in crazy and a testament to how much energy he brings to the game. It's one thing to throw up 40 shots, and we've seen Russ shoot a lot and be inefficient, but on this night he definitely justified how many he put up.

#2 March 4th, 2015 vs Philadelphia

Westbrook goes coast to coast for a two-handed flush

We take a quick break from the MVP season to look back at one of the most unique Russ games. Five days before, Russ took a nasty elbow to the cheek that resulted in an indent on his face and a fractured bone that required surgery. After missing one game, he came back with a mask and uncorked a fearless game that we have come to associate with Westbrook.

It was his 4th straight triple double, leading the KD-less Thunder to a five-point victory over the Sixers in overtime, 123-118. He threw up a line of 49 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists, closing the game out in overtime, scoring 10 of the Thunder's 13 points in the extra period. This season, with KD missing more than half of the games gave us a taste of what Russ was capable as a solo act and helped set the stage for his MVP season two years later. This game lands above the previous 57 point triple double due to the fact he did it four days after facial surgery. Only Russ could do that.

#1 April 9th, 2017 vs Denver

Russ knocks down the game winner as time expires

The game that broke Oscar Robertson's single-season triple double record. This game had it all, Russ chasing his 10th assists, passing up easy shots to make sure he secured the record, a furious comeback at the end of the game, a deep desperation three as time was expiring, and Russ ripping the hearts out of the home crowd. Russ sealed the win at the buzzer, turning a botched play into elation as he drained a 35 footer to knock the Nuggets out of the playoffs with three games to go.

He scored 50 points (17-32 shooting, 11-11 free throws), had 16 rebounds, and dished out 10 assists. As mentioned, he weirdly took a break from shooting to hunt his 10th assists, causing the Thunder to fall behind, but once he got the record, he became a maniac attacking the hoop. The Thunder needed everything he had at the end, rallying to outscore the Nuggets by 11 in the final frame to win by one. This game was so breathtaking he even got a standing ovation by the Nuggets fans at the end of the game.