Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) passes the ball in front of Memphis Grizzlies guard Kobi Simmons (2) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Oklahoma City, Wednesday, April 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
OKLAHOMA CITY — Russell Westbrook needed rebounds to reach a milestone, so Paul George took care of the points.
George scored 40 points, Westbrook clinched a triple-double average for the second straight season and the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 137-123 on Wednesday night.
Westbrook entered the game 16 rebounds shy of becoming the first player to average a triple-double for a season more than once. He reached that total with just over nine minutes left in the third quarter and received a standing ovation. He finished with just six points, but had a career-high 20 rebounds and 19 assists.
“I’m very, very thankful and blessed, man, to go out and compete,” Westbrook said. “Like I’ve said many, many times, I don’t take this game for granted. I don’t take going out on the floor and competing for granted.”
George made 13 of 20 shots, including eight of 14 3-pointers.
“I just caught a rhythm early,” George said. “It’s just sticking with it, staying with the process and just putting work in — a lot of work in. It paid off tonight.”
With a loss, the Thunder would have been a No. 8 seed and forced to play No. 1 seed Houston in the first round. Instead, Oklahoma City will play Utah.
Steven Adams scored 24 points and Corey Brewer added 17 for the Thunder, who matched a franchise record with 20 made 3-pointers.
Dillon Brooks scored a career-high 36 points for Memphis.
Westbrook had one of the most unusual first halves of his career to help the Thunder take a 20-point lead. He had 12 assists and 11 rebounds, yet only scored one point and took two shots. George scored 26 points on 9-of-10 shooting, including 5 of 5 on 3-pointers in the first half to help Oklahoma City score a season-high 77 points in the first half.
Brooks scored 16 points in the third quarter to help the Grizzlies trim their deficit to 105-96 at the end of the third quarter. The Grizzlies scored 39 points in the period.
Memphis hung tough in the fourth quarter before back-to-back 3-pointers by Terrance Ferguson and George pushed Oklahoma City’s lead to 133-116.
“Obviously, I thought we had plays where we could have prevented points, but for the most part, they (Memphis) just played really well tonight,” George said. “I thought we did a great job of not falling into just being complacent. I thought we played phenomenal tonight. It just so happened that they played well as well. It’s like that sometimes. It’s just great that we played well enough to win.”
TIP-INS
Grizzlies: Marc Gasol (rest), Tyreke Evans (personal reasons), JaMychal Green (knee soreness), Wayne Selden Jr. (right knee soreness), Andrew Harrison (right wrist/left shoulder) and Jarell Martin (left ankle) all sat out.
Thunder: Westbrook brought F Nick Collison out to midcourt with him before the game. Westbrook said he wasn’t sure if it would be the 37-year-old Collison’s last regular-season game, but he wanted the crowd to acknowledge Collison’s contribution to the franchise. … G Alex Abrines (concussion protocol) did not play. … Westbrook had seven assists in the first quarter. … Brewer was fouled on a 3-pointer in the fourth quarter and left the game for good with a knee sprain.
STAT LINES
Westbrook matched a season low with two field goals made and set a season low with nine field goal attempts.
SUPPORTING CAST
Westbrook didn’t shoot well, but the other four starters shot a combined 33 for 55 from the field.
QUOTABLE
Bickerstaff on the team’s 22-60 finish: “When you go through these types of times, everybody who is involved’s true character comes out. It’s easy when things are roses and sunshine to be a good player, a good teammate, to be a positive coach, whatever it may be. But these times, who are you? Hopefully everybody involved learned from it.”
UP NEXT
Grizzlies: Season is over.
Thunder: Will open the playoffs this weekend.