Mike Malone prioritizing winning over preventing Russell Westbrook triple-double

Russell Westbrook is on the verge of breaking the all-time single-season record for triple-doubles, but Denver Nuggets head coach Mike Malone isn’t changing his gameplan.

Before the Nuggets played Westbrook’s Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday, Malone emphasized that getting the win was their top priority.

“I want to win. That’s the most important thing for me,” said Malone, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN. “If we get a win and he breaks the record and gets a triple-double, so be it.”

Of course, the Nuggets are fighting for their playoff lives and need a victory over the Thunder to remain in the hunt for the eighth seed in the West. But considering a recent opponent taking pride in preventing Westbrook from getting a triple-double and a fellow head coach dropping a funny line after also preventing the feat, Malone’s comments are an interesting change of pace as the MVP frontrunner sits on the precipice of history.