NBA: Westbrook makes history, but the Wizards narrowly lose to the Hawks
Atlanta, Georgia - Russell Westbrook took the stage again, this time in Atlanta as he broke an NBA record that stood for nearly 50 years, on Monday night.
The Washington Wizards lost to the Atlanta Hawks 125-124, but that wasn't the big story. The headline was Russell Westbrook (32) breaking Oscar Robertson's career triple-double record, a mark that stood since 1974.
Westbrook finished the game with 28 points, 21 assists, and 13 rebounds for his 36th triple-double of the season, but more importantly 182 for his career, making him the new all-time leader. This remarkable feat was slightly marred by an unfortunate loss suffered by his team. The Wizards are still in a position to participate in the upcoming play-in tournament, but Monday night's loss might've put them on shaky ground.
The Wizards and the Hawks were in a tight battle in the first half of the game with Washington up by one at the half 62-61. But a lackluster third quarter, one in which the Wizards could only put up 17 points, left them having to try for a comeback in the fourth where Westbrook ended up missing a possible game-winning three-pointer in the final seconds.
Rui Hatchimura was the next highest scorer for the Wizards with 20 points and three rebounds, while Robin Lopez had 18 points. For the Hawks, Trae Young led all scorers with 36 points, to go along with nine assists and six rebounds. John Collins also dropped 28 points with eight rebounds, and Clint Capela had 10 points with a game-high 22 boards.
Both teams are back to face each other again in Atlanta, on Wednesday night.
Around the NBA
In San Antonio, the Spurs handed the Bucks a surprising 146-125 loss, while the Pacers got a road win over the Cavs 111-102. Jordan Clarkson had a game-high 41 points off the bench, but it wasn't enough as the Jazz lost to the Warriors 119-116.
The Grizzlies held off the Pelicans 115-110. And the Blazers have now won four in a row by beating the Rockets 140-129.
On Tuesday, the Heat and the Celtics are locked up in a rematch from this past Sunday, while the Suns and Warriors play out West.
Cover photo: IMAGO / ZUMA Wire