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Sixers can't contain Westbrook or Thunder

OKLAHOMA CITY - The 76ers tried to solve the problem known as Russell Westbrook. They had a game plan. They watched footage. They did everything they could do stop, slow or contain the most destructive force in the NBA today. And they still failed - badly.

OKLAHOMA CITY - The 76ers tried to solve the problem known as Russell Westbrook.

They had a game plan. They watched footage. They did everything they could do stop, slow or contain the most destructive force in the NBA today. And they still failed - badly.

Westbrook recorded his 35th triple-double of the season to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 122-97 rout Wednesday night at Chesapeake Energy Arena. It wasn't even as close as the score indicated.

The point guard finished with 18 points, a game-high 14 assists, and 11 rebounds. He secured the triple-double with his 10th rebound with 7 minutes, 8 seconds left in the third quarter. At that time, Westbrook already had 18 points and 11 assists.

Westbrook didn't miss a field-goal attempt (6 for 6) or a foul shot (6 for 6) in three quarters of action. He's the first player since the league has been tracking triple-doubles to be perfect from the field and the foul line.

Thunder backup center Enes Kanter finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds. He made 8 of 9 shots and 8 of 9 free throws. Victor Oladipo added 18 points for Oklahoma City (41-30).

The Thunder dominated the Sixers in the paint, holding a 54-25 rebounding advantage. They outscored them by 76-50 in the paint. And the attacking style enabled Oklahoma City to nearly double up the Sixers in free-throw attempts. They made 22 of 30 while the Sixers made 15 of 17.

"I can say it was like bar fight," Dario Saric said "But they were like the only, only guys in the bar who really destroyed us."

Saric said the Thunder were stronger and were pushing his team around. "Today, they just simply killed us," he added.

Nik Stauskas came off the bench to pace the Sixers (26-45) with 20 points. He made 5 of 8 three-pointers.

Saric finished with 12 points, extending his streak of consecutive double-digit games to 21. However, the rookie power forward made just 4 of 14 shots and grabbed only two rebounds.

Jahlil Okafor finished with six points after missing Monday's game and the second half of Sunday's matchup with a sore right knee. The Sixers center has been dealing with the soreness after having surgery a year ago Wednesday. He has missed seven games this season because of his knee.

The Sixers' Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Oladipo were the only starters from either team to see action in the fourth quarter. That was a good thing for the Sixers, who didn't have any answers for Westbrook.

This was a normal, dominant outing for the league MVP candidate. The ninth-year veteran is on pace to join Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson as the only players to average a triple-double for a season. Robertson accomplished the feat during the 1961-62 campaign.

Westbrook entered Wednesday as this season's leading scorer at 31.4 points per game. His 10.3 assists at that time ranked third. He also was averaging 10.5 rebounds.

"With his athleticism and his speed, he can just pretty much do it all," said Sixers point guard T.J. McConnell, who finished with two points and four assists. "That's why he's averaging a triple-double. . . . I think he deserves more credit than he already gets."

McConnell and Co. had a miserable time containing Westbrook.

He routinely grabbed defensive rebounds, got out in transition, went strong to the basket, or found a teammate for an easy bucket.

"There is no guard that has been more dominant in my NBA days, 16 years of them, than the numbers that we're seeing Russell Westbrook put up," Sixers coach Brett Brown said.

The game marked Jerami Grant's first matchup against the Sixers since being traded to the Thunder on Nov. 1. He finished with three points.

The Thunder had a 31-point lead in the fourth quarter. But this night was all about Westbrook's dominance.

"Like I said, it's not a one-person job," McConnell said. "It's an entire team. We have to clog his driving lanes, and he's going to get his.

"He averages a triple-double . . . so it's tough for us to stop him."

kpompey@phillynews.com

@PompeyOnSixers

www.philly.com/Sixersblog