Very simply–it was a historic night inside of Chesapeake Energy Arena as Russell Westbrook and Paul George both triple doubled on the same night as the Thunder beat the Portland Trailblazers by a 120-111 count.
For a small market city which has seen Durant, Westbrook, Harden, and George already in its young NBA history this was a special night not just for the win, but for the history which was attached to this game.
Russell Westbrook came into this game tied with Wilt Chamberlain with nine straight triple doubles. It was a record Wilt had held since that magical season of 1962 when Chamberlain scored 100 points in a single game against the New York Knicks in a game played in Hershey, Pennsylvania. That record won’t be touched. But on this February night in Oklahoma City year 2019…Chamberlain’s record is no longer intact as Russell Westbrook tripled doubled for the tenth straight game.
1962 was the Year Wilt averaged over 50 points a game and scored 50 points or more in sixty straight games. History is stepped all over what Westbrook did tonight in Bricktown and what Harden is trying to do in Houston this season. Good for the OKC fans that they realized what they were witnessing when Westbrook pick and popped with Paul George late in the fourth period to assist PG on his eighth three point basket of the game.
Paul George…what do you say at this point other than….MVP. Since the Divine Miracle in Philly on January 19th the Thunder are 11-1 and Paul George during that stretch has been the best player in the league. Better that Harden, better than Giannis, better than anyone in the league.
I don’t worry about national narratives as this MVP race to me right now is a two man race with Giannis in third place. I do think though that for Paul George to win the MVP the Thunder need to finish in second in the West with somewhere around 56 wins.
Paul George has been the best player in the league in 2019 and he’s doing it in every manner on both ends of the floor and in the locker room. Just for fun in this one he tripled doubled along with Westbrook on a 47 point night which was efficient.
Both Schroder and Grant were DNPs tonight and Terrance Ferguson was in foul trouble early in the night. But on this night rookie Deonte Burton and vet Raymond Felton answered the call and scored 18 and 15 points respectively.
The thing I liked about tonight was the Thunder’s early focus with two non rotational players not playing and Terrance Ferguson in early foul trouble. It was a professional effort for 48 minutes with the team’s two stars putting their team on their backs as they now have the Denver Nuggets very much in their sights for the No. 2 seed.
If you’re not happy with this game then you shouldn’t be watching NBA basketball. So many good storylines for the Thunder now with one of them being Paul George trying to become the third Thunder player in eleven years attempting to win the regular season MVP award.
They should still be a 41 or 42 win team right now, but screw that for the time because the Thunder are on a roll even though Westbrook is still struggling with his shot. Paul George says relax and he’s got Russell’s back and why wouldn’t you believe him at this point.
The Thunder visit New Orleans on Thursday night and I guess Anthony Davis is going to play some even though he shouldn’t be playing.
Below is the audio from that night in Hershey where no live cameras were in the building. For a great read order Wilt–1962 by Gary Pomerantz. When you think about it that may have been America’s last year of innocence as JFK was assassinated in Dallas in ’63. It’s a great period piece read.