Will Russell Westbrook’s historic season lead to MVP?

Hours before Friday’s contest, after he finished icing his knees at the morning shootaround, Russell Westbrook was asked for his definition of pro basketball’s highest honor.

“You know what? I’m not sure,’’ the Oklahoma City Thunder guard said at Talking Stick Resort Arena. “ Most Valuable Player – the best player on the best team with the best record? It all depends on how you value it. My job is to go out and play at a high level every night and if that’s MVP level, then that’s what it is.”

As the regular season winds down, one of the NBA’s top questions has transitioned to closing arguments. All season, Westbrook and Houston’s James Harden have placed themselves atop of the MVP conversation. With the postseason nearing, a final Westbrook surge may turn out to be the difference.

The 6-foot-3 guard entered Friday’s contest against the Suns on history’s doorstep. And when Westbrook recorded his sixth assist, he locked up one of the great statistical milestones in sports, joining Oscar Robertson as the only players in NBA history to average a triple-double over an entire season. In addition, Westbrook needed just one more triple-double to break Robertson’s mark of 41 triple-doubles in a season, a mark that once appeared unbreakable.

“Historically, it’s something we might not ever witness again – unless he does it again,’’ Suns coach Earl Watson said.

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Harden isn’t far off, which is why this has made for such riveting theater. The Arizona State product this season has thrived in Mike D’Antoni’s open system, averaging 29.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 11.2 assists. Entering Friday, Harden had 20 triple-doubles of his own, seven coming while scoring 40-plus points. Not to be overlooked: the Rockets’ improvement from playoff contender to title contender.

“What James Harden has done has been incredible,’’ Suns veteran Tyson Chandler said. “If they split (the MVP), that would be the best thing that could happen.”

But if he had to pick one?

“Westbrook,” Chandler said. “In the summer, you lose Kevin Durant, a top-three player in this league, and you still take a team to the playoffs with new personnel, averaging a triple-double? There hasn’t been a game where I’ve been like, ‘Oh, he’s tired,’ or, ‘He looks worn out.’ He’s literally put his team on his back, and it’s been crazy to watch.”

USA TODAY Sports polls NBA writers every week on the MVP award. Harden has led most of the season, but this week Westbrook passed him. The main factor in the leapfrog: Westbrook has averaged 37.2 points, 12.6 rebounds and 11.2 assists over his last five games. In a March 29 win over Orlando, he posted an amazing 57, 13 and 11 stat line. Overall, Westbrook entered Friday averaging a league-high 31.8 points, 10.7 rebounds and 10.4 assists.

“Before this last week or two, I think I would’ve given Harden the edge,’’ Suns veteran Jared Dudley said. “And then you see (Westbrook) had (45) against Memphis. … People keep saying he’s chasing triple-doubles. I don’t know how you chase triple-doubles and lead the league in scoring? How do you do both?”

One answer: with unmatched energy. Oklahoma City coach Billy Donovan joked that he never walks into the locker room, thinking “Geez, I hope he’s ready to play tonight.” Likewise, Chandler said he plans to show his son and nephew video of Westbrook over the summer, “just to show them that this is how you’re supposed to approach a game, with this kind of fire and passion.”

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Oklahoma City guard Norris Cole knows an MVP when he sees one. He was in Miami when LeBron James won the award in 2012 and 2013. He sees similar qualities with Westbrook.

“LeBron brought it every night regardless of how he was feeling,” Norris said. “Same thing with Russ. He brings it at a high level every night. His focus is there. Those are the similarities that I see. Both guys want to win.”

Close MVP races are not uncommon. In 1990, the Lakers’ Magic Johnson beat Philadelphia’s Charles Barkley, even though Barkley had more first-place votes. In 1997, Utah’s Karl Malone edged Chicago’s Michael Jordan by 29 overall points. In 2005, Phoenix’s Steve Nash edged Miami’s Shaquille O’Neal by 34.

With a strong Harden finish, this race could be just as close. If that’s the case, Watson – who’s known Westbrook since his UCLA days – wonders if the public’s perception of Westbrook, at least the one portrayed by the media, is to blame. The Oklahoma City guard’s aggressiveness on the court often shapes his image off it. Complicating matters: He doesn’t enjoy the media spotlight.

“Russ might rub a lot of (MVP voters) wrong, but you have to put those personal feelings aside and just talk about basketball,’’ Watson said. “James is having a great year. You can’t take away what James is doing, but what Russ is doing, to me, it’s not even close.”

Contact Doug Haller at 602-444-4949 or at [email protected] Follow him at Twitter.com/DougHaller.