Listing the 3 NBA Playoffs games in which Russell Westbrook has made the highest number of assists in his career
Russell Westbrook is currently in his 14th NBA season, playing for his hometown franchise, the Los Angeles Lakers. The off-season move was a dream come true for Russ, who grew up rooting for the Lakers. Russell Westbrook is well known around the league for his high intensity games and putting up mind-boggling numbers with ease.
Throughout his career, Russell Westbrook has created 8,322 baskets for his teammates across the four franchises he has played for. Russell Westbrook is 12th on the all-time assists list, with only two active players above him; teammate LeBron James with 9,827 assists and Chris Paul with 10,576 assists.
Mr. Triple Double creates open shots for his teammates, predominantly by driving in hard to dish the ball out. Russell Westbrook has missed the playoffs only twice in his career, and in those games, too, he has been an all-round contributor.
3 NBA Playoffs games in which Russell Westbrook has his highest assists
#3 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Dallas Mavericks – 15 assists (2016 Playoffs)
On April 23rd, 2016, the Oklahoma City Thunder faced off against sixth seed Dallas Mavericks in Game 4 of the first round of the playoffs. Going into the game, the Thunder were protecting a 2-1 series lead, looking to win and take the upper-hand.
Russell Westbrook recorded 25 points, shooting only 36.8% from the field. Fifteen of those points came from beyond the arc and while Russell Westbrook could not get his shots to fall, he looked for open teammates.
Russell Westbrook dished out 15 assists to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 119-108 victory and a 3-1 series lead. Enes Kanter had a hot hand, being on the receiving end of five Russell Westbrook assists, leading the team with 18 points on 92.3% shooting.
In the 205-16 NBA regular season, Russell Westbrook (834) finished second behind Rajon Rondo (839) in total assists and he carried that momentum with him to the playoffs.
#2 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Dallas Mavericks – 15 assists (2016 Playoffs)
In the same series, Russell Westbrook recorded 15 assists in Game 3 as well. The Dallas Mavericks came off a well-fought victory on the away court in Game 2, feeling ready to register their first home win of the series. But the Oklahoma City Thunder were locked-in offensively as they finished the first half with a ten-point lead. Kevin Durant scored 20 points and Russell Westbrook dished out 9 assists, in just the first half.
Russell Westbrook put up a strong second half, missing only two of his nine attempts. He finished the game with a double-double of 25 points and 15 assists. The Oklahoma City Thunder ousted the Dallas Mavericks with offensive efficiency, winning by a 29-point margin.
#1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Memphis Grizzlies – 16 assists (2014 Playoffs)
Russell Westbrook loves to play under the spotlight and he got one such chance on May 3rd, 2014, against the Memphis Grizzlies.
In a win-or-go-home situation, Russell Westbrook displayed a wide range of skills. In 39 minutes on the floor, he logged a triple-double with 27 rebounds, 10 rebounds and 16 assists. From the field, Russell Westbrook shot 62%, including two shots from beyond the arc.
Russell Westbrook’s distribution helped the offense get into the flow, right from the first quarter. He got his teammates open shots and they obliged with field goals. Within the first half, Russ had 8 assists, before going into his own scoring run in the third.
Russell Westbrook stepped up when it mattered, putting up an all-round game and helping his team progress to the Western Conference semifinals.