Russell Westbrook matches Big O, clinches season-long triple-double average

Say this much about Oklahoma City Thunder star Russell Westbrook: he knows how to close.

By dishing his sixth assist in the third quarter Friday night against the Phoenix Suns, Westbrook matched Oscar Robertson as just the second player in NBA history to average a triple-double throughout an entire season. After a rough first half, where he was just 2-for-13 with six points and six turnovers, Westbrook turned it on in the second with history in sight.

He flirted with his 42nd triple-double of the year, which would have broken Robertson's single-season record but ultimately came up short in the loss. Westbrook finished with 23 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists. Westbrook has logged seven triple-doubles in his last nine outings.

Oscar Robertson calls Russell Westbrook the 'triple-double king'

Not surprisingly, Westbrook has strengthened his MVP argument as he continues to set NBA records. 

Billy Donovan: Russell Westbrook sets tone for Oklahoma City Thunder

Just how historic has Russell Westbrook's season been?

With Westbrook and the Houston Rockets’ James Harden widely believed to be the top two candidates for the award, and with media members who vote left to pick between players who have both produced at a historic pace, these final games certainly matter. But just as Harden has been playing through the pain of a left wrist injury and seeing his numbers decline as a result, Westbrook has been at his best late.

In the eight games leading into Friday's contest, he was averaging 35 points (50% shooting overall; 41.6% from three-point range), 12.2 rebounds and 11.6 assists as the Thunder have gone 5-3. Since injuring his wrist at Denver on March 18, Harden (over the course of eight games) has averaged 29.2 points (39.6% shooting overall; 29.6% from three-point range), 10.8 assists and 8.2 rebounds as the Rockets have gone 4-4.

As Robertson sees it, Westbrook has done enough to warrant winning the MVP honor.

“Knowledgeable basketball people understand that sometimes if you don't have the right ingredients on your team, if you're not good inside or you don't play defense, you may not win a championship,” Robertson, who finished third in the MVP voting during that 1961-62 season behind the Boston Celtics’ Bill Russell and the Philadelphia Warriors’ Wilt Chamberlain, told USA TODAY Sports on Wednesday. “But that does not demean what you've done as an individual. And I can say this without blinking, that what Russell Westbrook has done truly - even (though) Harden is close to him - but what he's done, he's got to be the MVP of the league.”

Follow USA TODAY Sports' Sam Amick on Twitter @Sam_Amick.