Russell Westbrook seized an early lead in the NBA’s MVP race this season with his pursuit of a triple-double average, but a number of challengers have seized his position as favorite for various stretches of the year. James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, LeBron James, and Isaiah Thomas have all received convincing arguments (to varying degrees, of course) in their favors, and it’s possible that Westbrook will not capture an award that once seemed his to lose. Blame the Oklahoma City Thunder’s lower-half playoff position or just plain boredom — either way, the excitement over his candidacy seems to have waned.

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Perhaps his performance in Thursday night’s convincing 102-92 win over the San Antonio Spurs will reignite talk of his superiority. Westbrook put up 23 points, 13 rebounds, and 13 assists in 35 minutes to lead OKC to victory and stop San Antonio’s nine-game winning streak.

This particular triple-double was a big one in Westbrook’s assault on the history books. It was his 31st of the season, tying him with Wilt Chamberlain in 1967-68 for second on the all-time single-season list. He now has 17 games left to match or surpass Oscar Robertson’s 41 in 1961-62.

The specifics were as familiar as ever. In a fairly low-scoring game, Westbrook made the bulk of the Thunder’s plays and led five players in double figures. With the Spurs perhaps feeling fatigue after Wednesday night’s season-high comeback against the Sacramento Kings, the Thunder controlled play and led by 20 entering the final 2:30 of regulation. The result was closer than the game itself.

Westbrook’s MVP case may feel stronger due to the struggles of fellow candidate Kawhi Leonard, who sat out the Kings game and shot only 6-of-15 for 19 points. Gregg Popovich’s decision to rest Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge against Sacramento led to an unlikely result — the Spurs looked serious in coming back against the Kings but appeared lacking against the Thunder. As such, they head into Saturday’s big matchup against the slumping Golden State Warriors two games out of the No. 1 seed.

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Curiously enough, OKC’s win could help ensure that they do not face San Antonio in the first round of the playoffs. The victory coupled with the Memphis Grizzlies’ loss to the Los Angeles Clippers to bring the teams into a virtual tie for the West’s No. 6 spot, which would be broken by a tiebreaker the Thunder currently hold.

That’s not meaningless for Westbrook’s MVP case. OKC’s place in the standings has been one of the knocks on Westbrook — against the likes of LeBron, Harden, and Leonard, he simply can’t compete when it comes to team success. On the other hand, there’s an argument that the Thunder depend on Westbrook playing well more than any other team depends on its superstar. The team’s record in his triple-doubles speaks for itself.

Ultimately, Westbrook’s ability to win the award will come down to whatever criteria voters value most. Regardless of his finish, anyone who has watched the Thunder this year knows how much he does for them. He certainly doesn’t need the trophy to prove his worth.

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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at efreeman_ysports@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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