Thunder star Russell Westbrook has validated the old adage "addition by subtraction" this season as he's taken his game to the next level with Kevin Durant out of town.
The fiery point guard recorded his eighth triple-double of the season in Monday's 112-103 win over the Knicks.
Westbrook scored 27 points with 18 rebounds and 14 assists, reaching double figures in the categories for the third straight game. He now has 45 career triple-doubles, tying LeBron James for sixth all time. The latest performance boosted him to a triple-double average (30.9 ppg, 10.3 rpg and 11.2 apg) through 19 games this season.
Many criticized Westbrook during his time playing alongside Durant. Critics felt he stole Durant's shots and turned the ball over trying to do too much. While some of those things may have been true, Westbrook has proven he's one of the game's best players so far this season.
Victor Oladipo, who had eight points and four assists Monday, is the perfect complementary player to Westbrook. He is good enough to help the Thunder win games, but isn't a big enough star to command the ball away from Westbrook. The two could become one of the best duos in the league.
Kings center DeMarcus "Boogie" Cousins scored 36 points with 20 rebounds and four assists in a 101-95 loss over the Wizards. Cousins has now recorded four straight games with at least 30 points, which is the longest streak by a Kings player since Chris Webber in 2001.
The Heat's supporting cast. Despite getting 25 points and 17 rebounds from Hassan Whiteside and 27 points and 17 assists from Goran Dragic, the Heat lost 112-104 to the Celtics. If a team gets that kind of production from both its stars, it should win every time.
Sixers point guard Sergio Rodriguez with a nifty between-the-legs assist to Jahlil Okafor:
Sergio ➡️ Jahlil! #NBAVine https://t.co/6pOeihTzAt
— NBA (@NBA) November 29, 2016
Okafor finished the game with 15 points and five rebounds, but Philadelphia still lost 122-95 to the Raptors.
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