Russell Westbrook throws a pass past Cory Joseph, but not through his legs. (AP) Basketball fans have grown used to amazing statistical feats from Oklahoma City Thunder superstar and MVP candidate Russell Westbrook. It now feels more shocking than not when Westbrook doesn’t log a triple-double, and it’s now commonplace for him to put up 30 points, 15 rebounds, and 15 assists (or more). When he takes the court, the question is only how incredible stat line.
Of course, it’s important not to lose sight of the fact that, on a very basic level, Westbrook first entered the hearts and minds of fans (often via nightmares) because of his all-killer-no-filler style. The man attacks when others would play it safe and takes risks most players wouldn’t even consider.
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If you need a refresher on Russell Westbrook, basketball destroyer, then just take a look at this long-range bounce pass through the legs of Cory Joseph and to teammate Victor Oladipo from Thursday’s 123-102 win over the Toronto Raptors:

It’s not exactly believable that Westbrook meant to put this through Joseph’s legs, because he fired the ball into a crowd from many feet away and likely couldn’t have pinpointed the pass from such a distance. However, Westbrook’s greatness is largely dependent on creating his own luck in these kinds of situations. It works because Joseph never would have imagined a pass could go through his legs from that distance.
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Those more interested in Westbrook’s stats saw plenty to like, too. He finished with 24 points (8-of-17 FG, 4-of-8 3FG), 16 assists, and 10 rebounds in only 28 minutes for his 34th triple-double of the season and fourth in a row. He might’ve finished with bigger numbers if the Thunder hadn’t led by 27 heading into the fourth quarter.

Now he just needs to work on that memory problem.
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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
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