Thread by @EliasSports

Thanks for the inspiration, @WorldWideWob. We looked into Russell Westbrook’s historically unique game and it really was something to behold. Brace yourself for some deep Elias #NBAPlayoffs research – let’s dive in 🧵:

https://twitter.com/WorldWideWob/status/1647795386961268736

Our first question was “Who was the last player to go 3 of 19 from the floor in an NBA playoff game?”. And of course the answer is Westbrook, then a Wizard, in a 122-114 win over the Sixers on May 31, 2021. Russ logged a ridiculous 21 rebounds, 14 assists, and 2 steals that day.

Our next question was “Who has the most 3 of 19 games in NBA history? (actually since 1956, when FGA became a stat)” And again the answer is Westbrook with four. Fun fact: the first time Russ did so was November 12, 2008, just his 8th career game and his 20th birthday 🎂

Then we stopped asking questions where the answer was always Westbrook and went a little deeper. Westbrook is .500 in his 3 of 19 games, including last night’s win. But league-wide? Since 1956, teams are just 22-51 (.301) when one of their players goes 3 of 19 from the field.

Instances of a player shooting 16% or worse on 19+ FGAs in a playoff game? It’s happened 18 times, including Game 7 of the 1957 NBA Finals when HOF Celtics Bill Sharman (3-20) and Bob Cousy (2-20) both did so in a 125-123 2OT win. Elias has the original paper score sheet:

Back to Russ – putting aside the 3 for 19 shooting, he stuffed the stat sheet with 11 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, and 3 blocks. Since 1973 (when blocks became an official statistic), only 13 players in NBA history have hit those minimums in a playoff game.

Those 13 players? Westbrook, Nikola Jokic, Anthony Davis, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Draymond Green, LeBron James (twice), Chris Webber, Hakeem Olajuwon (twice), Larry Bird, Derrick Coleman, Ralph Sampson, Clyde Drexler, and Bill Walton.

That’s six HOF’ers (plus six active no-doubters, in our opinion) and seven #1 overall NBA draft picks (AD, LeBron, C-Webb, Hakeem, DC, Sampson, Walton). Russ is, not surprisingly, the only one of this group to accomplish the feat while scoring fewer than 10 points.

One such game where LeBron did it was Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals, a 93-89 Cavs win for the ages over the juggernaut Warriors. LeBron punctuated his performance with a clutch block of Andre Iguodala in the game’s final minutes, forever enshrined in NBA history as “The Block”.

Russ had a big block of his own last night, stuffing Devin Booker with seconds left to seal the W for the Clippers. Adding in two free throws, a key offensive rebound, and a last-minute assist to Terence Mann, it was maybe the best minute of clutch basketball anyone ever played.

How do we know? Since the 1996-97 season, when play-by-play data first became available, Westbrook is the ONLY player to record an offensive rebound, a blocked shot and an assist while also going 2 for 2 from the line, all within the final minute of an NBA playoff game.

Last night, Russ reminded us that there are plenty of ways to make your impact felt on the court, if your shot’s not going in. When you can rebound, pass, and play great D, you can sometimes put it all together to record the greatest 3 of 19 shooting game in NBA history.