LOS ANGELES — NBA scoring leader Russell Westbrook netted a game-high 28 points but missed out on a fifth consecutive triple-double Saturday in Oklahoma City’s 110-94 home victory over the Sacramento Kings.
Westbrook, averaging a league-high 31.7 points a game, also passed off 10 assists but managed only eight rebounds before being removed with 58 seconds remaining and the outcome not in doubt.
The Thunder’s fifth consecutive victory improved the team’s record to 40-29 to match the Los Angeles Clippers for fifth in the Western Conference.
With 13 games remaining in the regular season Westbrook has so far this season managed 34 triple-doubles — double-digit performances in three statistical categories in one game.
That leaves Westbrook seven triple-doubles shy of Oscar Robertson’s record of 41 in a single season from the 1961-62 campaign.
That season was also the one in which Robertson became the only player in NBA history to average a triple-double for an entire season.
Robertson scored 30.8 points, pulling down 12.5 rebounds and passing off 11.4 assists a game for the Cincinnati Royals, who moved to Kansas City in 1972 and again to Sacramento in 1985.
Westbrook could become the second NBA player to average a full season triple-double. In addition to his top point total, the 28-year-old American guard is averaging 10.5 rebounds and 10.4 assists a game.
Warriors 117, Bucks 92: Matt Barnes contributed seven points and two assists to a second-quarter explosion that took the Golden State Warriors to past the Milwaukee Bucks.
Stephen Curry scored a game-high 28 points on 9-for-13 shooting as the Warriors shot 60 percent in completing a perfect 3-0 homestand.
The Warriors (55-14) moved 2 1/2 games ahead of San Antonio (52-16).
Clippers 108, Cavaliers 78: Blake Griffin scored 23 points and collected eight rebounds in three quarters, as the Los Angeles Clippers snapped a three-game losing streak with a victory over the short-handed Cleveland Cavaliers.
DeAndre Jordan had 13 points and 17 rebounds and J.J. Redick scored 16 points for the Clippers (41-29), who have a half-game lead over the Oklahoma City Thunder for the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference.
Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue decided to sit LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love against the Clippers to rest them.
Rockets 109, Nuggets 105: James Harden had 40 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, notching his 19th triple-double in the Rockets’ victory.
Harden has 11 games of 40 or more points and did it this time after scoring 41 Friday.
Clint Capela had 16 points for the Rockets (48-22), who won despite a season-low in 3-point attempts (24) and makes (five).
Gary Harris had 17 points, Nikola Jokic 16 and Jameer Nelson 15 points and 11 assist for the Nuggets, who now lead Portland by 1 1/2 games for the No. 8 seed.
Grizzlies 104, Spurs 96: Mike Conley scored 19 points, Zach Randolph added 18 and Marc Gasol finished with 16 as Memphis extended its winning streak to four games.
Bulls 95, Jazz 86: Jimmy Butler scored 23 points and distributed seven assists to help Chicago end a two-game losing streak.
Trail Blazers 113, Hawks 97: The Trail Blazers snapped a five-game losing streak to the Atlanta Hawks as they continued their quest to overtake the Nuggets for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Portland led by 23 points just 10 minutes into the game and rolled to victory behind 27 points from Damian Lillard and 22 from fellow guard CJ McCollum.
Hornets 98, Wizards 93: Cody Zeller scored 19 points on 8of-10 shooting, and the Hornets snapped a three-game losing streak. — Agencies
