“Just do whatever you got to do to put your body on the line for your teammates,” Westbrook said after recording his 15th triple-double of the season in a win Tuesday against Miami. “That’s what I try to do.”
And this bit of news out of Memphis: The Grizzlies have survived a rash of injuries to key players and are now on the verge of getting healthy again.
The Thunder at 20-12 are first in the Northwest Division and have exceeded expectations in the first third of the season.
The Grizzlies at 20-14 also have done better than what was predicted despite Mike Conley, Zach Randolph, Chandler Parsons and Vince Carter missing significant time. They have stumbled to a 4-6 record the past 10 games, but their defense has been stellar, allowing only 98.1 points per game — fourth best in the league.
Oklahoma City enters Thursday night’s game in Memphis against the Grizzlies riding a four-game win streak and a three-game road winning streak. The Thunder have now strung together three four-game win streaks this season.
Every night the Thunder take the floor, all eyes are on Westbrook, the early choice for MVP this year. He is averaging a triple-double: 31.7 points, 10.6 rebounds and 10.9 assists.
The Thunder have been a lot of fun to watch, especially Westbrook. And he has embraced the idea of letting it all hang out on the floor.
“I just go out and have fun,” Westbrook said after the Thunder beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 112-100 on Sunday night. “I don’t know if it’s the most fun I’ve ever had, but it’s definitely at the top because of the group of guys we have. Everybody is so unselfish. Everybody is willing to do great things. Everybody is willing to get better. We’re young and blessed to be able to play this game. You can’t do nothing but have fun.”
In Tuesday’s win against the Heat, Westbrook recorded his 15th triple-double this season — the 52nd of his career. The rest of the league has totaled 18 triple-doubles in all.
No. 15 came pretty easy against the Miami Heat on Tuesday. Westbrook, who is attempting to join Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson as the only NBA players to average a triple-double for an entire season, had 29 points, a season high-tying 17 rebounds and 11 assists. He was just two rebounds shy of the triple-double by halftime.
When Robertson averaged a triple-double during the 1961-62 season, the Cincinnati Royals went 43-37 and finished 11 games behind the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Division. Westbrook is making his surrounding cast better and giving the Thunder more than a fighting chance against anyone, including KD, LeBron and Pop.
Fans, players and coaches are left in awe.
“From my perspective, some of the most impressive plays he made were diving in front of our bench, taking the charge at the end when they were up 12,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “Every single possession is the most important possession to him.”
During the Grizzlies’ recent struggles, the defense simply has not been up to par. In three straight games, their opponents have cracked the 100-point barrier. Against Boston, the Celtics shot 48 percent.
Memphis has lost two straight and six of 10. Coach David Fizdale points to the team’s defense, which has given up more than 100 points in three straight games. And with Westbrook and the Thunder’s high-octane offense awaiting, the challenge is greater.
The evidence was again on display in the TD Garden, where Memphis allowed Boston to shoot 48 percent. The Grizzlies entered the game ranked second in the NBA in points allowed (97.7 per game) but have given up more than 100 points in three straight and four of the past five outings.
“Our defense wasn’t at the level it should be,” Grizzlies coach David Fizdale said after watching the Celtics score 28 points in each of the first three periods.
The Thunder are making a lot of defenses look ordinary. OKC coach Billy Donovan is running the offense through his talented center duo of Steven Adams and Enes Kanter to help take some pressure off Westbrook and the dividends are paying off.
In the win against the Heat on Tuesday, the duo combined for 34 points and 16 rebounds. During the four-game win streak, Kanter and Adams are averaging 32.5 points and 16 boards.
The Grizzlies can counter with Marc Gasol, who is having the finest season of his career. In the loss to Boston, Gasol did everything he could, scoring 26 points, grabbing four rebounds, dishing out nine assists, to go along with two steals, three blocks and three 3-pointers in 38 minutes.
Conley sat out that game with a toe injury and his status is uncertain for Thursday night.
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