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UCLA Legends: Looking back at Russell Westbrook’s career so far

Former Bruin Russell Westbrook, the fourth pick in the 2008 draft, has developed into an NBA superstar as the point guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder. (Daily Bruin file photo)

By Daily Bruin Sports

Jan. 7, 2016 9:32 a.m.

UCLA will honor former UCLA men’s basketball star Russell Westbrook on Thursday night in Pauley Pavilion. In December 2015, UCLA announced that Westbrook’s donation to the Mo Ostin Basketball Center project was the largest by a former basketball student-athlete in school history, although the amount was undisclosed.

In his two years in Westwood, Westbrook played in 75 games and led the team to a pair of Final Four appearances in 2007 and 2008. Here’s a look back at his best career games in both collegiate and pro ball.

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Former Bruin Russell Westbrook, the fourth pick in the 2008 draft, has developed into an NBA superstar as the point guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder. (Daily Bruin file photo)

UCLA (2006-2008)

Nov. 21 2007
UCLA 68, Michigan State 63
Then-sophomore guard Russell Westbrook spurred the Bruins’ comeback over the Spartans, tallying 13 points, six rebounds and three assists. Michigan State led by 11 at the half, but Westbrook and center Kevin Love helped UCLA pull back even with 4:41 left in the game. It was Westbrook who tied the game after making a steal and converting the fast break layup to make it 58-58. The Bruins picked up the road victory at the O’Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic in Kansas City, Missouri, to go 6-0 in nonconference play. This comeback win showcased a dynamic Westbrook who had been limited in his freshman season but had a breakout season as a sophomore. – Claire Fahy

Feb. 2 2008
No. 5 UCLA 82, Arizona 60
Westbrook had his most dominant scoring performance of his collegiate career against the Wildcats, pouring in 21 points. The Bruins’ rout was the program’s largest margin of victory over an opponent since March 10, 1983 – an 111-58 win. Arizona arrived in Pauley Pavilion as the Pac-10’s most potent shooting team with a 49 percent shooting percentage. Westbrook and teammate Darren Collison’s defense helped limit the Wildcats, though they still shot 48 percent. The Bruin offense was unstoppable, however, shooting 57 percent from the field and 80 percent from three-point range. Westbrook contributed to those totals by shooting 50 percent on threes and 77 percent from the field. – Claire Fahy

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(courtesy of Tim Shelby via Wikipedia)

US Olympic Team (2012-present)

July 19, 2012
USA 118, Great Britain 78
Westbrook came off the bench for USA at the 2012 London Olympics, but that will most likely change in Rio de Janeiro this summer after the Oklahoma City guard’s name is in the mix for NBA MVP. While Westbrook saw limited game action during the Summer Games, he made the most of it. The guard scored 15 points and dished out nine assists in 19 minutes of play at the Manchester Arena. He also harassed the Great Britain guards on defense with his characteristically aggressive play, forcing backcourt turnovers as well as hassling shooters on the perimeter. – Claire Fahy

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(Courtesy of Keith Allison via Flickr)

NBA (2008-present)

Oct. 29, 2008
Milwaukee Bucks 98, Oklahoma City Thunder 87
Westbrook’s first NBA appearance back in 2008 was the beginning of Oklahoma City’s dominance in the Western Conference. Although he wasn’t the starter and only played in 22 minutes in his debut game, he still shot 44 percent from the field, netting 13 points. Westbrook was Oklahoma City’s first-round draft pick when the team was the Seattle Supersonics in 2008. – Korbin Placet

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(Courtesy of Keith Allison via Flickr)

Nov. 29, 2013
Oklahoma City Thunder 113, Golden State Warriors 112
Not only did Westbrook contribute 34 points, seven assists and five steals, he also made one of the most incredible game-winning plays ever. That’s not a hyperbole. Picture this: With Oklahoma City down two at the end of overtime against visiting Golden State, Kevin Durant found Serge Ibaka at the left elbow for a potential game-tying jumper. Westbrook, as soon as he saw the shot going up, broke toward the basket from the other side of the court. As Ibaka’s shot clanged off the back of the rim, Westbrook crept up behind a crowd of three Warriors under the hoop, leaping off two feet to swat the ball out of the hands of Draymond Green. The Thunder’s Thabo Sefolosha saved the ball from going out of bounds, blindly tossing it back to Westbrook, who had continued his crosscourt journey. The point guard, receiving the ball with four seconds left, took one dribble toward the corner, wrong-footing the Warriors’ Harrison Barnes before spinning back towards the baseline and sinking a game-winning three that sent the home crowd into an uproar. You should probably just go watch the video. – Matt Cummings

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(Courtesy of Keith Allison via Flickr)

Feb. 15, 2015
West All-Stars 163, East All-Stars 158
In the 2015 NBA All-Star game at Madison Square Garden, Westbrook led the West All-Stars to victory, scoring 41 points and a record-setting 27 in the first half. The total – which he accumulated in just 26 minutes of play – was just one shy of Wilt Chamberlain’s 53-year record. All of this and the Oklahoma City star wasn’t even chosen as a starter. – Korbin Placet

March 5, 2015
Oklahoma City Thunder 123, Philadelphia 76ers 118
Wearing a face mask to protect his recently surgically repaired cheek, Westbrook notched a career-high 49 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists in his fourth-straight triple-double of the 2015 season. No other player had achieved that feat since Michael Jordan in 1989. The point guard had undergone surgery to fix a shattered cheekbone four days beforehand in Los Angeles. Westbrook scored 10 straight points to close out the overtime period, helping the Thunder secure its second victory in a row and a one-game lead for eighth place in the Western Conference. This game was part of a seven-game stretch during which Westbrook averaged 33 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists per matchup. – Claire Fahy

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(Courtesy of Keith Allison via Flickr)

April 12, 2015
Indiana Pacers 116, Oklahoma City Thunder 104
The 2015 All-Star Game MVP lit up the scoreboard with a new career-high of 54 points, but it wasn’t enough to push the Thunder over the Pacers. Westbrook added eight assists and nine rebounds, controlling the game as the Thunder were without injured starters Kevin Durant and Serge Ibaka. Oklahoma City would go on to miss the playoffs just days later, but Westbrook ended the 2014-2015 season with one the year’s most impressive performances. His 43-shot game tied Michael Jordan for the eighth-most shots ever taken in a single game. – Tanner Walters

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