Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook has received relentless criticism this season – some justified, and some unjustified – so you can not help but feel happy when he does something spectacular on the court. With the Lakers facing defeat in the final seconds of the fourth quarter of Friday night’s matchup against the Toronto Raptors, Westbrook came up with an incredible sequence to send the game to overtime, where Los Angeles eventually came away with a 128-123 victory.
With 12.5 seconds left in the fourth quarter in Toronto with 116-113, Westbrook missed a potential 3-point lead, putting the Raptors in the position where all they had to do was keep the ball in to make their free kick. secure the victory. Instead, the Lakers defense forced a difficult inbound pass from Scottie Barnes to Precious Achiuwa, and as he unusually tried to get it back to Barnes, Westbrook got his hand on the ball and eventually forced a turnover.
He proceeded to run down the court, stopping just behind the 3-point line, and knocking down a double-pointer, leaving 3-pointers with less than a second to send the game to overtime. It was a wild sequence that ended a frenetic fourth quarter.
“I’m super happy for him,” Lakers head coach Frank Vogel said said by Westbrook nom Spill. “He’s obviously treated a lot.”
The moment was all the more exciting as it came right in front of superstar rapper Drake, a Toronto native who was at the game on Friday night. Lakers striker LeBron James, who is good friends with Drake, posted the gruesome photo on Instagram after the game with the caption “MOOD !!!! Hello Haters.”
Westbrook finished with 22 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists as he went 8-for-18 from the field and 4-for-7 from the 3-point range. It was the first triple-double Westbrook recorded since New Year’s Eve, while the four 3-pointers tied a season high. The last time he made more than 50 percent of his 3-point attempts was in a game on Jan. 27, when he was 2-for-3 in a loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.
It was a required victory for the Lakers, who have lost three straight games in 12 of the last 15. LeBron James was also brilliant on the track, finishing with 36 points, nine rebounds and seven assists on 15-for-26 shots. .
Westbrook was vocal about his rejection of the way fans and the media criticized him throughout the season. But, as he knows, the best way to keep everyone close is to play well and play in the clutch like he did on a Friday night.
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