Russell Westbrook’s week of destruction is leaving carnage everywhere

The Thunder suffered a heartbreaking loss Friday, as a buzzer-beating three-pointer by Anthony Davis crushed their hopes of completing a late-game comeback. Davis finished with 41 points, 10 rebounds and three assists, yet his stat line wasn't the most impressive of the night. That would be Russell Westbrook's 48 points, nine rebounds, 11 assists and four steals. It was Westbrook's fourth 40+ point game of the season and the second this week.

Westbrook is on a tear, averaging over 34 points per game over his last five, having scored over 40 three times and logging a triple-double in a win against the Magic. With his performances against the Pelicans over the last two games he became the first player since Wilt Chamberlain to have back-to-back games of at least 40 points on 50 percent shooting with five rebounds and five assists.

It has truly been an MVP worthy season so far for the often maligned Westbrook. With Kevin Durant out for 27 of the team's 50 games, Westbrook has been asked to carry a heavier offensive load this season. He's posting a career-high usage rate of 38 percent, the highest percentage any player has recorded since Kobe Bryant in 2004-05. It hasn't always been good, as his efficiency has oscillated, but Westbrook has won games on his own for the Thunder this year. His impact has never been more obvious than this past week.

Against the Magic Monday, and with Durant out with a toe injury, Westbrook had 25 points, 11 rebounds, 14 assists and two steals. He was perfect from the line in eight tries and only turned the ball over twice to lead the Thunder to an easy win. Against the Pelicans Wednesday, he dropped 45 on 31 shots and took over in the fourth quarter to secure the victory. And finally, on Friday, he set a new career high with 48 points to keep the Thunder close as Durant struggled from the field after missing the team's last two games.

The black mark on an otherwise stellar night was the fact that it came in a loss. The Thunder are back to being just a .500 team and sit at 10th place in the West, three games behind the Suns for eighth place. Their next five games will have them face Clippers, Mavericks and Grizzlies and they will need more than Westbrook playing at a superlative level if they want to make a push. With Durant back, it's definitely possible for them to beat anyone.