Russell Westbrook may have had a poor day on the shooting front, but LA Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue told the frustrated veteran what he needed to hear.
“You bring us way more than scoring the basketball,” Lue had told the 34-year-old when he struggled to swish the ball through.
Ty Lue told Westbrook during the game not to be frustrated by his shooting.
‘You bring us way more than scoring the basketball,” Lue had said.
— Andrew Greif (@AndrewGreif) April 17, 2023
And the latter received the message loud and clear. He defended Kevin Durant, made some massive assists, and defended for his life when he couldn’t shoot. Westbrook went 3-for-19 but ended his evening with 10 rebounds, including offensive, 8 assists, 3 blocks, and 2 steals.
Those who caught the game knew it was one of those nights for the guard as he failed to find the net in 16 of his 19 attempts. But his tremendous energy and game awareness saw the Clippers rally back in the fourth quarter after trailing 36-29 and 27-22 in the second and third stretch, respectively.
In the end, the Clippers drew first blood with a 115-101 win at the Footprint Center. Kawhi Leonard finished with 38 points, 5 rebounds, and as many assists. Also contributing was Eric Gordon (19 points).
For the Suns, Durant led the way with 27 points, 9 rebounds, and 11 assists. Devin Booker had 26 points, and Torrey Craig chipped in with 22 points. The Clippers lead the series 1-0.
Russell Westbrook Knows The Job’s Not Finished Despite Clippers’ Win
The Clippers may have started off their playoff run with a win, but Russell Westbrook echoed the Kobe Bryant message of the job not being finished.
Talking to the NBA social media team after the win, the mercurial guard wore a serious look saying, “Good win, locked up Game 1. Have to come back and do the same in Game 2. Serious. We ain’t do nothing yet, we ain’t do nothing.”
On his part, Westbrook will look to forget his woeful shooting on Sunday night and contribute more on the offensive end, especially in the absence of Paul George. His support to Kawhi on the shooting front would mean the Clippers being able to match the volume that Durant and Booker bring to the fore.
Only time will tell if the Clippers can hang on to the momentum they have generated.
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