Nets long triple-double drought is over after DLo’s gem

When D’Angelo Russell grabbed his 10th rebound with 6:38 to go in the fourth quarter, it was not just a milestone for him —his first triple double, at age 22. It also ended a seven-year triple-double drought for the Nets franchise going back to April 9, 2010, Terrence Williams’ rookie year. And it was the first T-D for the BROOKLYN Nets.

Think of the Nets experience with triple-doubles biblically ... it was seven years of feast, seven years of famine. That’s because for the seven years that Jason Kidd wore No. 5 for the Nets, triple-doubles were sorta meh. Kidd had 61 in the regular season wearing a New Jersey Nets uniform (winning 42 of the 61) plus another 11 in the playoffs.

His last triple-double as a Net came on February 8, 2008 —19 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists, one point more than DLo and the same number of rebounds and assists. Three games later, he was traded to the Mavericks.

If you need a refresher course in Kidd’s greatness ... or weren’t around, the NBA yesterday tweeted out his 45 best assists to honor his 45th birthday. Nice timing.

In the 10 years since Kidd left, only the star-crossed TWill recorded a triple-double and that was in an overtime game at the end of 2010 season ... the one with 12 wins. Here’s the highlights from Williams (who hasn’t played professionally since 2016, when he signed with Al-Manama in the Gulf kingdom of Bahrain.)

And no, neither Devin Harris, for whom Kidd was traded, nor Deron Williams, who was supposed to inherit Kidd’s mantle, recorded one.

The closest Harris got was a couple of weeks after the Kidd trade on March 15, 2008, when he recorded 19, 12 and 8. DWill came the closest on January 22, 2012, with 19, 10 and 9. Vince Carter who had four with the Nets didn’t get one after Kidd left.

DLo certainly has the court vision to get to double figures in assists. He could probably use some strength to improve his rebounding but he did have career highs in both Friday. And note this: Kidd was 22 years, 13 days old, when he recorded his first triple-double for Dallas in 1995. DLo was 22 years and 28 days old.

Expect more.