NBA scores 2016: Russell Westbrook’s numbers are incomprehensible

He keeps filling up the box score, but the Thunder are only pulling away with narrow wins.

Oct 31, 2016, 12:00 PM UTC

Photo by J Pat Carter/Getty Images

The Oklahoma City Thunder haven’t been very good despite their 3-0 record.

They narrowly beat a bad Philadelphia 76ers team without No. 1 pick Ben Simmons or Nerlens Noel, took a young and bad Phoenix Suns team to overtime, and took three quarters to pull away from the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. But there’s been some fun for Thunder fans in the wake of Kevin Durant, as they’ve seen their star, Russell Westbrook, pour in outrageous numbers across the board.

Against the Lakers, Westbrook posted his second triple-double of the season. On a much tamer 21 field goal attempts, he scored 33 points, dished 16 assists, and grabbed 12 rebounds in 34 minutes.

Across three games, the point guard’s totals are up to 116 points, 37 rebounds, and 35 assists. He is the first player to record 100-30-30 totals in his team’s first three games of the season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. He is also one of four players (LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird) to ever record 100-30-30 totals over any three-game stretch, according to ESB.

His 12 turnovers over the last two games are still concerning and his shot selection could still improve, but there’s no denying how impressive Westbrook’s numbers have been. He’ll have a much tougher time maintaining those stats, though, as the Thunder play the Clippers and Warriors in their next two games.

Waiting on the Warriors

Kevin Durant’s new team isn’t there yet, either. We knew this would be the case only three games into the season, but maybe we didn’t know that a San Antonio Spurs romping on opening night and a near-loss to a young and not-so-talented Phoenix Suns team would be parts of the journey.

The Warriors trailed for most of the first half in Phoenix on Sunday, starting on the wrong end of a 22-7 run at the end of the opening quarter, and Golden State couldn’t keep Phoenix out of it. Warriors other than Durant and Stephen Curry went a combined 1 of 17 from deep, got to the free throw line 12 times, and scored just 41 points.

Luckily for them, they have those two other guys to carry the load as Durant went for 37 points and Curry finished with 28.

Kawhi Leonard still looks like an MVP

The Spurs are 4-0, have rested Pau Gasol and LaMarcus Aldridge in games, and haven’t had Danny Green in any of them. Kawhi Leonard has been a large reason for their success, and Sunday was no different against the Miami Heat.

Leonard kicked into second gear in the fourth quarter after an inadvertent hit from Tyler Johnson left a bloody cut under his eye. He sat for two minutes and then came back looking like this:

Leonard returned to score 16 points in the quarter and swiped the game-sealing steal, ripping the ball from Hassan Whiteside. The Spurs can rest whomever they want as long as Kawhi is on the floor.

Marc Gasol, three-point assassin?

Marc Gasol scored a trio of three-pointers in the final seconds of the fourth quarter and overtime to beat the Washington Wizards, 112-103.

He hit this deep one to send the game into OT:

The Grizzlies’ center now has six makes from downtown in three games after connecting on 12 in his first eight seasons. He’s also become an expert guitar player.