Russell Westbrook earned his 28th triple-double of the season as the Oklahoma City Thunder eased past the Los Angeles Lakers 110-93 late on Friday.
Westbrook scored 17 points on four-of-17 shooting from the field to go with 17 assists and 19 rebounds at the Chesapeake Energy Arena.
Alex Abrines and Andre Roberson each had 19 points and combined to hit eight three-pointers.
Photo: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY
Steven Adams collected 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Thunder, who improved to 33-25.
Oklahoma City also received strong contributions from their newest members, Taj Gibson and Doug McDermott, who were traded from Chicago on Thursday.
“It felt great,” Gibson said.
Photo: AP
“I didn’t want to mess up. I was able to calm down and have a lot of fun with the guys. It’s a great group of guys, real unselfish. I had a great time tonight,” he said.
“It’s a lot better to be with him [Westbrook] than against him,” McDermott said.
D’Angelo Russell paced the struggling Lakers with 29 points. Jordan Clarkson scored 14 points off the bench and Julius Randle added 13.
Magic Johnson, the Lakers’ new president, was in the building to watch the team for the first time since taking over basketball operations.
“It’s good. It like you’re starting over and trying to impress,” Russell said. “It’s like coming to a new team. Trying to impress the GM [general manager] and the guys in the front office with your play, with your off the court and the way you handle yourself.”
In Los Angeles, Kawhi Leonard scored 21 points, despite foul trouble, as San Antonio shook off the rust from a nine-day layoff to beat the Clippers 105-97 for their third straight win.
Pau Gasol added 17 points and 11 rebounds off the bench in his return from a 15-game absence because of a fractured finger. LaMarcus Aldridge had 15 points and 11 rebounds, while Dewayne Dedmon grabbed 12 rebounds.
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
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