Another day, another triple-double.
The 2014-15 NBA regular season continued on Sunday, March 8 with a slate of seven games. There was yet another all-time performance by a shining superstar, a number of battles between championship contenders and a pair of key upsets of postseason hopefuls.
This is how it all transpired.
1. Russell Westbrook went off for 30 points, 17 assists, 11 rebounds and four steals to nine turnovers as the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Toronto Raptors 108-104. Serge Ibaka added 21 points and five blocks, and Enes Kanter had 21 points and 12 rebounds for OKC, while DeMar DeRozan led the Raptors with 24 points and nine assists.
Westbrook has seven triple-doubles in 2014-15. No other player has more than three.
2. Westbrook joins Oscar Robertson as the only players in NBA history to record at least 200 points, 50 rebounds and 50 assists over a five-game span.
3. In a game in which Stephen Curry was just 3-of-9 from the field, the Golden State Warriors picked up a 106-98 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. Draymond Green scored 23 points and both Shaun Livingston and Klay Thompson added 21 for the Warriors. Austin Rivers led the Clippers with 22 points on 8-of-14 shooting.
The Warriors have won six consecutive home games and are tied with the Atlanta Hawks for the most wins in the NBA at 49.
4. Tony Parker went off for a season-high 32 points on 13-of-19 shooting to help the San Antonio Spurs get past the Chicago Bulls 116-105. Kawhi Leonard posted 20 points, eight rebounds and three steals for the Spurs, while Pau Gasol had 23 points and 15 rebounds, and Aaron Brooks scored 22 points on 7-of-12 shooting for the Bulls.
In his 1,311th appearance, Tim Duncan finished a game without a single field goal made for the first time in his career.
5. Monta Ellis came through when the Dallas Mavericks needed him most, recording 31 points as Rick Carlisle’s crew avoided an upset with a 100-93 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. Carlos Boozer had 17 points and eight rebounds, and Jordan Clarkson and Wesley Johnson each scored 15 points for the Lakers, but Ellis scored six key points in the final 3:19 to secure the W.
Dallas clinches a record of .500 or better with win No. 41.
6. Dallas improves to 22-8 when Ellis scores at least 20 points. It’s 19-16 when he fails to.
7. The Orlando Magic used a balanced attack to upset the postseason-hopeful Boston Celtics 106-95. Victor Oladipo led the charge with 22 points, seven rebounds and five steals, Tobias Harris scored 21 points, Elfrid Payton had 19 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, Dewayne Dedmon recorded 11 points and 16 rebounds, and Maurice Harkless tallied 14 points, seven rebounds, three assists, three steals and a block.
Orlando is 4-4 since the trade deadline. It was 4-17 in its previous 21 games before that.
8. Gordon Hayward scored 24 points and Derrick Favors shined against his former team as the Utah Jazz added to the Brooklyn Nets’ woeful stretch with a 95-88 road win. Favors finished with 22 points, eight rebounds, four assists and a block for the Jazz, while Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young had 19 points each for the Nets.
Utah is 9-3 in its past 12 games and 7-2 since the All-Star Break.
9. Al Jefferson and Mo Williams continued to be a dynamic duo as the red-hot Charlotte Hornets overcame the slumping Detroit Pistons 108-101. Jefferson put up 24 points, eight rebounds, three assists, three steals and a block on 10-of-14 shooting and Williams had 21 points and nine assists, while Reggie Jackson had 25 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for the Pistons.
Detroit is 0-6 since the 2015 NBA Trade Deadline.
10. Charlotte has quietly won five in a row.
Bonus Fact: Westbrook has five triple-doubles in his past six appearances.