Oscar Robertson’s name gets brought up quite a bit in Oklahoma City.
Russell Westbrook, in his 2016-17 MVP season with the Thunder, joined Robertson in becoming only the second player to average a triple-double for a season. Then Westbrook did it thrice more.
Last season with the Washington Wizards, Westbrook passed Robertson for the most triple-doubles in history.
Wednesday night at Paycom Center, Thunder guard Josh Giddey made his own historic company with Robertson.
Giddey joined Robertson in becoming the second rookie in NBA history to record a triple-double in three consecutive games. Giddey finished with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in the Thunder’s 114-106 loss to the San Antonio Spurs.
"I thought he played a really good floor game again tonight," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "The triple-double stuff is just a byproduct of how he’s playing."
It was the fourth triple-double of Giddey’s career, which already ties him for 124th on the all-time list. Westbrook sits at the top with 193 triple-doubles. Robertson is second at 181.
Other players with four triple-doubles? Tim Duncan, Karl Malone, Tracy McGrady and Ja Morant just to name a handful.
"Anytime you can be mentioned with them it’s good, but as I always say, it’s always about the team," Giddey said. "A win tonight would’ve been great. … That’s why New York was so special."
Giddey and fellow rookie Tre Mann led the Thunder to a win over the Knicks on Monday, and despite the loss, they shined again Wednesday against the Spurs.
Mann led the Thunder with 24 points on 10-of-20 shooting. Mann had six rebounds and three assists. He scored from all three levels.
"When you see (shots) going in, everything feels good," Mann said.
After allowing 73 points in the first half — tying a season-worst defensive performance — the Thunder held the Spurs to 16 points in the third quarter, which got OKC back into the game.
"We did a much better job of staying in there defensively," Daigneault said. "They only had 41 points in the second half. If we could’ve course-corrected that earlier, then we would’ve been better off."
Six Spurs scored in double digits: all five starters, plus Lonnie Walker IV, who scored 17 points off the bench.
source
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/thunder/2022/02/17/thunder-rookie-josh-giddey-three-straight-triple-doubles-oscar-robertson/6826139001/
