Russell Westbrook on pace for rare 30-10 season
When Kevin Durant decided to take his formidable skills to the Golden State Warriors, it didn’t take a genius to figure out that Russell Westbrook would be the focal point of the Oklahoma City Thunder team (and its offense). As the 2016-17 NBA season pushes past the first quarter mark, Westbrook is certainly carrying the Thunder. He is averaging 31 points and 11.3 assists per game, good enough for second place in both stats categories in the league.
Only two players in NBA history have averaged 30 or more points and 10 or more assists per game for a season: Tiny Archibald was the last to do it in the 1972-73 season when he tallied 34 points per game with 11.4 assists for Kansas City-Omaha. Prior to that, Oscar Robertson did it five times… in 1961-62, 1963-64, 1964-65, 1965-66 and 1966-67.
In addition to Archibald and Robertson getting 30-10 in a season, there have been seven times when a player averaged 30 or more points per game and seven or more assists per game in a season. Those players:
Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati, 1960-61: 30.5/9.7
Michael Jordan, Chicago, 1988-89: 32.5/8.0
Dwyane Wade, Miami, 2008-09: 30.2/7.5
LeBron James, Cleveland, 2007-08: 30.0/7.2
Allen Iverson, Philadelphia, 2005-06: 33.0/7.4
Allen Iverson, Philadelphia, 2004-05: 30.7/7.9
Jerry West, L.A. Lakers, 1969-70: 31.2/7.5
Houston’s James Harden is averaging 28.3 points per game and 11.8 assists per contest, leading the league in assists and placing him fourth in scoring. If we look at the players who have averaged 25 points per games and 10 assists per game in a season, Archibald and Robertson make the list with their 30-10 seasons. In addition, Westbrook would join the group if he stays on pace, as would Harden. The only other player who has reached 25-10 in a season is Michael Adams. In the 1990-91 season with the Denver Nuggets, Adams averaged 26.5 points per game and 10.5 assist per game.
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Packers Numbers Crunches: Week #13
Here are some of the numbers that helped define the Packers 21-13 win over the Houston Texans on December 4.
- The Packers closed out their 2016 games against AFC teams with a 2-2 record (they defeated Houston yesterday and won over Jacksonville earlier in the season; they lost to the Colts and Titans). Green Bay is 26-18 versus the AFC since 2006, 18-10 since 2010, and is 8-6 in their last 14 games against the AFC.
- Green Bay has traditionally played well in December and yesterday was a good start for the December run this season. They are 19-7 in December since 2010, but an even more impressive 12-1 at home in December since 2010.
- Yesterday’s game was scoreless after the first quarter. Since 2000, the Pack is 23-14 in games where both teams are scoreless after the first quarter, and they are 13-2 at home since 2000 when the score is 0-0 after the first quarter.
- Green Bay scored first in the game yesterday and is now 36-5-1 since 2000 at home when they score first.
- Randall Cobb returned a pair of punts for a total of 44 yards. It was the most punt yards he had in a game since 2012 when he had 46 in a contest. The Packers are 5-1 in games when Cobb has 40 or more punt return yards in a game.
- The Packers held a 7-0 lead at halftime. Since 2000, they are 27-4 in games where they hold their opponents scoreless in the first half; they are 22-2 in home games since 2000 when the opposition does not get on the scoreboard in the first half.
- The score was tied 7-7 going into the fourth quarter. Green Bay has won 10 of their last 15 when the score is tied going into the fourth quarter, and they have won seven of their last 10 at home when the score is tied going into fourth quarter.
- Aaron Rodgers had two TD passes and no interceptions in the contest. The Packers are 50-6 in games when Rodgers has no interceptions in a game and two or more TD passes.
- Jordy Nelson led the receiving corps with eight catches for 118 yards. Green Bay is 20-3 when Jordy has 100 or more yards receiving in a game, 13-4 when he catches eight or more passes in a game, and are 35-11 when he scores a TD in a game.
- The Packers defense is 37-1 in the Mike McCarthy era (since 2006) when they hold their opponents to under 14 points in a game. The Packers are 24-0 since 2006 at home when the opposition scores under 14 in a game.
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