Evan Turner Joins Unlikely List Of All-Time Celtics Triple-Doubles

ByMark Vandeusen|

Feb 25, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jonas Jerebko (8), guard Evan Turner (11), guard Isaiah Thomas (4), forward Jae Crowder (99) and guard Marcus Smart (36) celebrate against the New York Knicks during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

In the Boston Celtics‘ 115-94 victory over the New York Knicks on Wednesday, Evan Turner posted 10 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. It was the first triple-double of Turner’s career, coming in his 391st NBA game (including playoffs).

Despite being a former No. 2 overall pick in the draft (2010), Turner is not a player one might expect to log a triple-double. For his career he’s averaging 10.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. This season Turner’s averages are 8.8, 5.0 and 4.9–he’d only even registered a double-double on four previous occasions through 54 games in 2014-15.

Fellow Ohio State Buckeye Mark Titus took a playful jab while expressing his disbelief in his former teammate’s accomplishment:

Turner is averaging 2.5 turnovers per game this year. Others chose to view Turner’s unlikely success as a measuring stick for the poor quality of product the 10-46 Knicks put on the floor:

EVAN TURNER HAS A TRIPLE-DOUBLE AGAINST YOU. THAT'S HOW BAD YOU ARE, KNICKS
— Evans Clinchy (@evansclinchy) February 26, 2015

The NBA first began recording triple-doubles in 1979-80. Over the past 35 seasons, there have been 130 of them in Boston’s history. Ten different players have recorded a triple-double while wearing a Celtics uniform. Some are quite obvious, while others may be even more surprising than Turner.

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There are only four Celtics with multiple triple-doubles:

Larry Bird (69): One of the all-time greats, Bird averaged 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists over his 13 years in the league.

Rajon Rondo (32): Ever since his first-ever triple-double on Dec. 3, 2008, no NBA player has as many of them as Rondo does.

Antoine Walker (13): Despite his eagerness to shoot, the 6’8″ power forward was also a very good passer. Walker averaged a career-high 5.5 assists during the 2000-01 season, in which he accumulated five of his triple-doubles. He also put up 23.4 points and 8.9 rebounds per game that year.

Paul Pierce (10): The No. 2 scorer in franchise history, Pierce also ranks sixth all-time among Celtics in assists, as well seventh in rebounds. Over his 15 years in Boston, “The Truth” averaged 21.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.9 assists.

The other five Celtics with triple-doubles on their resumes only pulled it off one time each. Two of them are not that difficult to guess:

In a 102-94 playoff victory over the Knicks on May 6, 1988, the late Dennis Johnson notched 19 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists. The Hall of Famer and five-time All-Star was also the 1979 NBA Finals MVP with the Seattle SuperSonics.

Another member of the Hall of Fame from the same era, Robert Parish, submitted his one and only triple-double on March 29, 1987. Parish chipped in 14 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 118-100 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.

The final three names on this list fall under the Evan Turner category of “that guy seriously had a triple-double?”

Kevin Gamble, March 16, 1993: 23 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists. Gamble was a third-round draft pick of the Portland Trail Blazers in 1987. He put up a career-best 15.6 PPG with the Celtics in 1990-91, but never averaged more than 3.5 rebounds or 3.1 assists in any single season.

Ryan Gomes, Nov. 8, 2006: 10 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists. Boston drafted Gomes in Round 2 in 2005. He only lasted seven years in the league and his best assist number was just 1.8 per game with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2007-08.

Jordan Crawford, Nov. 29, 2013: 11 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists. Crawford started 35 games at point guard for Boston last year while Rondo was recovering from ACL surgery. The 26-year-old posted career highs in both rebounds (3.1) and assists (5.7) before being traded to the Golden State Warriors. Crawford played in China this season.

Next: Turner's triple-double is not the least likely of the season...

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