With triple-double machine Nikola Jokic out on paternity leave, the Denver Nuggets leaned on the NBA’s greatest triple-doubler in history. They got the win, and Russell Westbrook became the first player to ever notch 200 triple-doubles.
Westbrook put up 12 points, 10 rebounds and a stunning 14 assists off the bench as Denver defeated the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night, 122-110. It’s his first triple-double of the season and the 200th of his career, the first player in NBA history to reach that mark.
Not only is it Westbrook’s first triple-double of the season, but it’s his first double-digit rebound game and only his second game with double-digit assists. He had one triple-double last season as well, a 16-point, 15-rebound and 15-assist effort against the Phoenix Suns in April. But he’s also 36 years old and playing in his 18th season. Unless you’re LeBron James, putting up triple-doubles at that point in your career is rare.
It hasn’t been an efficient season for Westbrook, who’s shooting 35.7 percent from the field and averaging 2.6 turnovers for the Nuggets this year. But if his shooting touch has faded, his energy has not. Westbrook still plays with a great deal of force and enthusiasm. With the Nuggets lacking in depth, especially with Jokic and Aaron Gordon out, they need Westbrook to simply put up numbers — passing and rebounding that normally Jokic dominates.
Jokic is fourth all-time with 136 triple-doubles, still a long way behind Westbrook. Oscar Robertson is second with 181 triple-doubles and is the only player besides Westbrook to average a triple-double for a full season. Westbrook has done it four times, from 2016-19 and again in 2020-21.
That’s part of why Denver wanted to bring Westbrook in this summer. While he may not resemble Jokic physically, Westbrook and the Joker do stuff the stat sheet in a similar manner. After all, if he keeps on his current pace, the next player to average a triple-double will be Jokic, who’s putting up 29.7 points, 13.7 rebounds and 11.7 assists in 2024-25.
Westbrook has now logged more career triple-doubles than Magic Johnson and Larry Bird combined (200 to 197). Tuesday night could have been Westbrook’s final triple-double as well, and it came when the Nuggets sorely needed it.
