NBA Scores 2015: The Trail Blazers can withstand Russell Westbrook, and 3 other things we learned Friday

Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge had the answer to Westbrook’s monster numbers, plus three other things we learned Friday.

by Liam Boylan-Pett

Feb 28, 2015, 1:00 PM UTC

Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports

Russell Westbrook did almost everything right against the Portland Trail Blazers Friday night. He went bonkers again, recording 40 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists for his third straight triple-double. He should have had 41 points, however. Westbrook went to the line with the Oklahoma City Thunder down by three points for three free-throw attempts with 2.5 seconds left in regulation. He was short on the first attempt, and that was it. The Thunder went on to lose, 115-112.

It wasn't just Westbrook who had a big night. LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard went off, too. Aldridge had 29 points and 16 rebounds, while Lillard scored 29 points and dished out five assists. It was a huge win for the Trail Blazers, who are now 38-19 -- good enough for fourth best in the Western Conference. The Thunder, who were without Kevin Durant and Enes Kanter, dropped to 32-27, just a half game ahead of the New Orleans Pelicans for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West.

The Thunder led 59-47 at halftime, and Westbrook already had 19 points, seven rebounds and seven assists at that point. It looked like the Thunder were going to coast to an easy win with a 69-54 lead midway through the third quarter. Then, Westbrook turned the ball over twice and Portland took advantage, jumping right back into the game with a 13-2 run. The Thunder answered back, though, and led 89-78 heading into the fourth quarter.

The Trail Blazers stormed back in the final frame, tying the game with 4:32 to play and then taking the lead on an Arron Afflalo three with fewer than four minutes to go. Westbrook was not going to go easily, though. He tied the game with an old-fashioned three-point play. From there, Westbrook traded blows with Aldridge and Lillard. The Trail Blazers led by three before an errant foul put Westbrook on the line. Luckily for Portland, he missed the first attempt and the Blazers were able to sneak out with the comeback win.

A night after Westbrook took 38 shots, some other Oklahoma City players got involved. Mitch McGary is a great running mate for Westbrook. He plays hard, too. McGary ended the night with 20 points and nine rebounds, and he even had a Hakeem Olajuwan moment. McGary was on the bench for much of the final 10 minutes of the game when the Trail Blazers stormed back.

With yet another huge game, Westbrook became the first player since Oscar Robertson to average 30 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds in a calendar month. Westbrook is in the midst of one of the most impressive offensive stretches in the history of the NBA. Night in and night out, he plays with a driving relentlessness that’s unmatched. With Kevin Durant out, the surge has come at a perfect time for the Thunder. They ended the month 9-3, which was enough to climb into the precious eighth playoff spot.

One thing is for certain after Westbrook’s historic February: the MVP chatter is real.

SB Nation presents: Gordon Hayward’s journey to the NBA

3 other things we learned

The Golden State Warriors weren't too affected by the loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. A night after losing to the Cavaliers in Cleveland, the Warriors took out their frustrations on the Toronto Raptors in a dominating 113-89 win -- the Cavaliers, meanwhile, rested LeBron James and Kyrie Irving in a loss to the Indiana Pacers. It was a blowout from the get-go for the Warriors. The Raptors shot 1-of-19 in the first quarter, and started the game 1-of-20. A night after struggling to get their offense going, the Warriors had no trouble against a lackluster Raptors defense. Klay Thompson led the Warriors with 25 points and Steph Curry added 22 points with six assists and five rebounds. The Raptors dropped their fourth straight on a night when nothing clicked. They couldn't even lose graciously -- Tyler Hansbrough and Festus Ezeli got in a fight with the Raptors trailing by 41 as the third quarter ended.

Don't count out the Los Angeles Clippers just yet. The Clippers rebounded from their loss to the Memphis Grizzlies Monday with a 97-79 win in Memphis. And they looked good doing it. Chris Paul had 19 points and dished out 13 assists. Plus, he showed off some nifty dribbling on Mike Conley. DeAndre Jordan had 15 points, 22 rebounds, three blocks and an extremely clever assist. The Clippers pulled away in the fourth quarter of what was a competitive game through three quarters, finally besting the Grizzlies after losing eight of their last nine games to Memphis prior to Friday's win. The Clippers are now 38-21 on the season, and 5-3 since Blake Griffin's elbow injury. Jordan has been phenomenal in Griffin's absence. Zach Randolph had 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Grizzlies, but Mike Conley only managed four points and two assists.

The Philadelphia 76ers have more wins in February than the Washington Wizards. The 76ers beat the Wizards, 89-81, to win their third game in February. You know what team doesn't have three wins in February? The Wizards are just 2-9 in the shortest month of the year, and have lost six straight. They're still 33-26 overall, which is a great record in the dismal Eastern Conference, but they are fighting for the No. 6 seed with the Milwaukee Bucks after fighting for a top-three seeding before the month started. John Wall had 21 points and 11 assists, but couldn't get the Wizards' offense going against one of the worst teams in the NBA. Nerlens Noel had 14 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks for the 76ers, who are now 12-45, and not officially out of the playoff picture in the East.

Play of the night

Not only did the 76ers pick up a win, but Nerlens Noel had one of the filthiest blocks of the year. The 76ers are still tanking, but there are some flashes of hope. Noel is one of them. This block is just an example of how amazingly athletic he is.