Cleveland (USA), Apr 30 (EFE) .- Star point guard Russell Westbrook achieved his thirty-first triple-double of the season with 15 points, 12 rebounds with 11 assists, and the Washington Wizards continued their postseason momentum with a 93-122 away win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
It was Westbrook’s 177th triple-double of his career, placing him four behind Oscar Robertson’s NBA record.
He also tied Wilt Chamberlain (1967-1968) for the fourth-best triple-doubles record in a season, a list Westbrook leads with 42 in 2016-2017.
“When you get mentioned by big names like Oscar and complimented like me, it’s really an honor and something you don’t take for granted,” Westbrook said. “I am grateful to be in a conversation with my name connected to his.”
Westbrook is on track to average a triple-double for the fourth time, currently with 21.6 points, 11.2 rebounds and 11 assists per game.
The Wizards’ star point guard accomplished the feat three times with the Oklahoma City Thunder, most recently two seasons ago.
Brooks acknowledged that Westbrook’s contribution had been incredible and how he always carries the team on his shoulders both on and off the field.
Guard Bradley Beal scored 19 points on 8 of 24 shots, and Brazilian point guard Raúl Neto also shone with 17 points that left him the surprise player to win out of the starting line-up.
Neto played 18 minutes and made 6 of 7 shots from the field, including the two triples he tried, and made 3 of 4 from the personnel line.
In addition to capturing five rebounds, four defenses, he gave three assists, recovered two balls, lost another two and committed three personal fouls.
The win left the Wizards 29-34 and 10th in the Eastern Conference, entitled to play-in.
Golden State’s Stephen Curry, whose team did not play, regained the league’s scoring advantage over Beal from 31.3 points per game to 31.1 in the fight for the league’s leading scorer.
Point guard Collin Sexton scored 22 points but had eight turnovers for Cleveland on his return from a three-game absence with a concussion.
Turkish forward Cedi Osman had 14 points and guard Darius Garland added 12 before leaving with a left ankle injury in the third quarter.
(c) EFE Agency