Russell Westbrook passes Magic Johnson on NBA all-time triple-double list
Sunday 27 October 2019 10:34, UK
Russell Westbrook notched his 139th career triple-double as the Houston Rockets beat the New Orleans Pelicans, passing Magic Johnson for second place on the all-time list.
Westbrook posted 28 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists as the Rockets held on for a 126-123 win over the short-handed Pelicans.
Former MVP Westbrook shot 9-of-17 from the field and 9-of-10 from the charity stripe, including two clutch free throws with 6.1 seconds left that built Houston's lead to three. The Rockets then clamped down defensively and forced a difficult shot from Josh Hart, who missed a three-pointer at the buzzer.
Having surpassed Los Angeles Lakers legend Johnson and taken sole possession of second place on the all-time list, Westbrook now trails NBA career triple-double leader Oscar Robertson (181) by 42.
Speaking after Houston's victory, Westbrook said: "It's a blessing, it's an unbelievable journey thus far. I give nothing but thanks to the man above for allowing me to go out and compete at a high level. It's something I never take for granted."
The Rockets lost their season-opener to the LA Clippers and Westbrook was pleased to help Houston put their first win on the board.
"We got the win, so it was good," he said. "We've got to keep going. We know good teams are going to come [to Houston] and try to beat us. We've got to be ready to go and guys in the locker room know that. We missed a lot of good shots, James (Harden) and myself, closing the game but we'll be alright.
"We've got versatility, now we've got guys that can drive the ball [to the basket when shots aren't falling] and guys that can hit threes. I think tonight we did a good job of mixing and matching that."
