In the flurry of games night after night, it's easy to forget some of the best performances that already seem so long ago. Who has been the most dominant on their team when it matters most? We reflect on some of the best individual performances over the past seven days.
Lebron James scored 25 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, and handed out 15 assists on Sunday. James' triple-double was his sixth of the season (and fourth in his last five games). That's the most by a player in his 15th season or later in NBA history:
Lebron James – 6 triple-doubles (15th season)
Paul Pierce – 3 (15th)
Jason Kidd – 3 (15th)
James has recorded at least one triple-double in the regular season against 26 of the league’s 30 teams. The only NBA team that James has never produced a triple-double against in the regular season are Timberwolves, Mavericks, Spurs, and Thunder.
Kyrie Irving scored 20 points on Saturday and brought his season total to 726 points in 30 games. No player had ever topped 650 points in his first 30 games for Boston (649 – Dominique Wilkins in 1994-95). Irving became only the fifth active players to score 700-plus points in their first 30 games for their current team: DeMarcus Cousins (787 with the Pelicans), James Harden (783 with the Rockets), and Kevin Durant (770 with the Warriors).
Russell Westbrook scored 27 points, grabbed 18 rebounds, and dished out 15 assists in the Thunder’s triple-overtime win over the Sixers on Friday night. Over the three overtime periods, Westbrook had 14 points, eight rebounds, and two assists. And in the third OT period alone, he registered six points and seven rebounds, most points, and rebounds in a single overtime period since Brian Grant also had six points and seven rebounds in 1999. Westbrook leads the league in total overtime rebounds (10) and assists (4) this season and is second in total points (18) behind Joel Embiid (19).
Andre Drummond scored 23 points and grabbed 13 rebounds on Friday night, and surpassed 400 points on the season (406 points and 440 rebounds in 29 games played). Drummond has totaled at least 400 points and 400 rebounds through 30 games for the third straight season. He joined Dwight Howard as the only active players with 400P/400R through 30 games in three straight season, Howard did it from 2007-08 to 2009-10. The last Pistons player to reach each of these marks through his first 30 games of a season was Bob Lanier. Lanier achieved the feat in four straight seasons from 1971-72 to 1974-75.
Rajon Rondo recorded his first triple-double of the season on Monday, finishing with 13 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists. Rondo became the only active player to have at least one triple-double in each of the last 10 seasons. His streak is now tied for the fourth-longest such streak in NBA history:
Jason Kidd – 17 seasons (from 1994–95 to 2010–11)
Magic Johnson – 13 (1979–80 to 1995–96, * Johnson missed four seasons during that streak)
Oscar Robertson – 11 ( 1960–61 to 1970–71)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 10 (1970–71 to 1979–80)
Rajon Rondo – 10 (2008-09 to 2017-18)
Rondo registered a triple-double with the fourth different team during his career (Celtics – 22, Kings – 6, Bulls – 1 and Pelicans – 1). Mark Jackson is the only player in league history to have one with more teams, five different teams (Knicks – 7, Clippers – 4, Pacers – 4, Nuggets – 2 and Raptors – 1).
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