Thunder’s Dynamic Duo
On this day in 2019, the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Paul George and Russell Westbrook became the first teammates in NBA history to each record a 20-point triple-double in the same game in a 120-111 win over the Portland Trail Blazers:
Paul George — 47 PTS, 12 REB, 10 AST
Russell Westbrook — 21 PTS, 14 REB, 11 AST
The feat has since been duplicated by the Miami Heat’s Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo (Dec. 10, 2019) and the Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James and Westbrook (Dec. 28, 2021).
This was also Westbrook’s 10th straight game with a triple-double, breaking a tie with Wilt Chamberlain for the longest such streak in NBA history. Westbrook’s streak reached 11 games before being snapped, which still stands as the NBA record:
11 — Russell Westbrook (Jan. 22–Feb. 14, 2019)
9 — Wilt Chamberlain (March 8–20, 1968)
7 — Oscar Robertson (Jan. 1–12, 1961)
7 — Michael Jordan (March 25–April 6, 1989)
7 — Westbrook (Nov. 25–Dec. 9, 2016)
7 — Westbrook (March 22–April 4, 2017)
Career High for Hagan
On this day in 1962, the St. Louis Hawks’ Cliff Hagan scored a career-high 55 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in a 129-109 victory over the Cincinnati Royals. Hagan shot 19-39 from the field and made all 17 of his free throws.
Hagan set an NBA record for most free throws made without a miss in a 50-point, 10-rebound game, a mark that still stands:
17 — Cliff Hagan (Feb. 11, 1962)
16 — George Yardley (Feb. 4, 1958)
16 — Oscar Robertson (Feb. 6, 1965)
16 — Damian Lillard (Jan. 20, 2020)
15 — Tim Duncan (Dec. 26, 2001)
Teammate, Bob Pettit tallied 28 points and 24 rebounds. Hagan and Pettit are one of only four duos in NBA history to record a 50-point, 10-rebound game and a 20-point, 20-rebound game in the same game:
Richie Guerin & Willie Naulls (Dec. 11, 1959)
Wilt Chamberlain & Tom Gola (Nov. 9, 1961)
Cliff Hagan & Bob Pettit (Feb. 11, 1962)
Chamberlain & Guy Rodgers (Oct. 26, 1962)
Big Game for Big Mac
On this day in 1975, the Buffalo Braves’ Bob McAdoo scored 47 points and snagged 16 rebounds in a 112-108 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. This was one of six games that season in which McAdoo recorded at least 45 points and 15 rebounds. No player has matched or exceeded that total in a single season since.
McAdoo recorded 12 career 45-point, 15-rebound games, the most such games by any NBA player his debut season of 1972-73. McAdoo produced nine of those games in the 1974-75 and 1975-76 seasons. The only other players in NBA history to record at least nine such games over a two-season span are Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor.
Mo Sets NBA Mark
On this day in 1982, the Houston Rockets’ Moses Malone grabbed 21 offensive rebounds in a 117-100 victory over the Seattle SuperSonics. It’s still the most offensive rebounds a player has recorded in a game since the NBA began tracking the statistic in 1973-74.
Malone tallied 38 points and 32 rebounds, the second 30-point, 30-rebound game of his career. He’s the only player since the ABA-NBA merger to record multiple such games.