The Los Angeles Clippers have found their footing again in recent weeks as they look to cement their spot in the Western Conference heading into the NBA Postseason. Their game on Tuesday against the Phoenix Suns was an important one, but the team was short-handed going into it.
James Harden missed the game because of inflammation in his right foot while Kawhi Leonard was missing the game because of a knee issue. That led to head coach Tyronn Lue having to make some major changes to his lineup, which included inserting Russell Westbrook into the starting five.
Westbrook, who began the season as the starting point guard, shifted to the bench on November 17th and has been there ever since when he is in the lineup. Tuesday was his first start since November 14th and he made it a memorable one.
Against the Suns, Westbrook was dominant. He recorded the 199th triple-double of his career, scoring 16 points with 15 rebounds and 15 assists. It was the 10th time in his career that he has recorded a 15/15/15 game, but Tuesday was memorable for another reason.
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That is because, according to Joey Linn of All Clippers Fan Nation, Westbrook made NBA history on Tuesday night. He is the first player to have a 15/15/15 game with two steals and zero free throw attempts.
Coincidentally enough, it was on this date seven years ago that Westbrook became the NBA’s all-time leader in triple-doubles. He broke the tie he was in with Oscar Robertson during his MVP campaign with a buzzer-beater during a 50-point triple-double performance.
April 9th is going to be a day that Westbrook remembers forever. He had several historic performances, with Tuesday night being the most recent. The Clippers needed all of that production with so many key players sidelined and the team going flat in the second half after a dominant first half.
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