Not many gave the Los Angeles Clippers much of a chance of getting past the Phoenix Suns in their first-round series, but some might now. The Clippers won Game 1 in Phoenix 115-110, and Russell Westbrook played a big part in it.
Westbrook made some big plays down the stretch, dishing out assists, grabbing offensive rebounds, sinking a couple of free throws, and blocking a Devin Booker layup. After the Clippers won, a fired-up Westbrook showed his heart to the fans.
Westbrook shows the fans his heart after a hard fought Game 1 vs the Phoenix Suns pic.twitter.com/ombjaN3ckL
— hoops bot (@hoops_bot) April 17, 2023
It was one of the best performances you would have seen by someone who shot just 3-19 from the field. Westbrook just outhustled the Suns late in the game and showed a lot of heart to help them get the win. He hauled in a game-high five offensive rebounds and had 11 rebounds in total while also dishing out eight assists.
While he struggled ever so much with his shot, Westbrook still managed to hit two huge free throws when the Clippers were hanging on to a 109-108 lead. He had shot just 65.6% from the line this season, and to make both of them in that high-pressure situation is quite impressive. He has been getting a lot of credit for the win, and rightfully so.
Tyronn Lue Supported Russell Westbrook During His Shooting Struggles
Westbrook was frustrated by his shooting struggles during the game, but head coach Tyronn Lue did what good coaches do. He had some words of encouragement for Russ as he told him that he brings a lot more to the team than just scoring. Westbrook clearly took those words to heart and did just that with those hustle plays down the stretch.
Westbrook made a bold claim after the win as well, stating that he is the best rebounder ever at the point guard position. He is clearly feeling very good about himself after that performance and the win, but at the same time, he isn’t getting carried away either. The Clippers seemed done when it was reported that Paul George is likely to miss this entire series, but they showed here that they have plenty of life left in them.
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