If you had any doubt of whose team this was, you shouldn’t any longer. Russell Westbrook singlehandedly put the Oklahoma City Thunder on his back on Friday night — notching a a 51-point triple-double effort to top the Phoenix Suns in overtime 113-110.
Westbrook was in full attack mode, racking up an eye-popping 44 field goal attempts, making 17 of them along with 2-of-10 from deep and 15-of-20 from the free-throw line.
The 44 field goals attempted were the most in the league since Kobe Bryant‘s last game, when he attempted 50. The OKC star had previously put up 43 attempts in April 2015, when he scored a career-high 54 points against the Indiana Pacers. He is now first and second among active players with the most field goal attempts in a game.
Westbrook’s triple-double line of 51 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists was the first of its kind since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1975.
Russell Westbrook gets 50-10-10 for the first time since 1974 (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar). #OKCsSavior#Thunder #Lakers pic.twitter.com/vJCMQ2cyXG
— NBA Memes (@NBAMemes) October 29, 2016
Westbrook’s 51 points are the third-most by a player in a triple-double, according to Elias Sports Bureau. The most is 53 by Wilt Chamberlain during the 1967-1968 season.
Russell Westbrook's 51 points are tied for 3rd-most in a triple-double pic.twitter.com/WXVNNWI1he
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 29, 2016
The Thunder point guard made a layup to put his team up a point with 7.6 seconds remaining. Suns shooting guard Devin Booker (21 points) missed a layup at the other end and Westbrook was fouled. He scored his 50th and 51st points at the free-throw line with 3.5 seconds remaining. Booker then missed a three-pointer as time expired.
The Long Beach native scored 39 of his 51 points in the second half and overtime to rally his team back from down 18. Here’s some of the best of his historic night in an all-out home-opener.
Watch the best of Russell Westbrook's epic home opener. pic.twitter.com/176pVE2I6f
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) October 29, 2016