The Washington Wizards entered Saturday’s matchup with the Indiana Pacers facing an opportunity to move up in the Eastern Conference standings with a win. Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal managed to lead the way in the team’s 133-132 overtime victory. There was some NBA history made in the process, too.
Westbrook finished his performance with 33 points, 19 rebounds, and 15 assists. He recorded his 181st career triple-double. By doing so, he tied NBA legend Oscar Robertson for the most triple-doubles in NBA history. Additionally, he now ranks 12th all-time in assists, too.
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“I take a lot of pride in doing everything I can to impact winning,” Westbrook said via ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk. “To be in a conversation with Oscar, I just want to thank him because he set the stage.
“The things he was able to do back in the day has allowed me to do the things that I do today. So I’m appreciative of that, and I’m appreciative of his support as well.”
Not only did Russell Westbrook manage to fill the box score up, he clinched the victory for the Wizards in overtime by coming up with a game-saving block against a potential game-winning three-pointer by Caris LeVert.
The Wizards now rank 9th in the Eastern Conference standings and sit a half-game ahead of the Pacers. Washington is set to be a participant in the NBA Play-In Tournament instead of simply being a classic case of ‘too little, too late’ by barely missing the playoffs. Instead, Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal are playing at a high-level and are set to be a nightmare for whoever they face.
The Washington Wizards return to action on Sunday when they take on the Atlanta Hawks in part of a back-to-back series. Russell Westbrook will have a chance to make NBA history with another triple-double – breaking the mark set by Oscar Robertson that was thought as being out of reach for good.
