NBA, Westbrook plays first game ‘from Westbrook’: ‘Last year we didn’t have one like that’

Despite having over 1,000 NBA games between regular season and playoffs behind him, Russell Westbrook last night he experienced a new sensation: “I’ve never had people cheering for me away, it’s a really new experience“It often happens when the Lakers go far from Los Angeles, with the home team subscribers – in this case the San Antonio Spurs – selling their seats for a game to the yellow and purple fans, paying off a good part of the subscription cost. In any case, the Lakers fans flocked to the AT&T Center were able to enjoy Westbrook’s first real game since Westbrook: the triple double has not arrived, but at the final siren they can be read on his scoreboard 33 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists and 3 rebounds, leading the LeBron James-free Lakers to victory after extra time alongside a 35 + 17 Anthony Davis. Especially Westbrook gave energy to a team that was down 13 in the third quarter, keeping the group emotionally standing: “It is for these matches that we have such positive feelings about his arrival“said coach Frank Vogel.” Last year we lost LeBron to AD for a long time and we didn’t have enough to sustain the regular season and win the playoffs. With someone like Russ on the team, even if one of those two is out, we have another player capable of monstrous evenings like the one we saw tonight. And the investment made in him already pays dividends “.

Westbrook takes charge of the Lakers: “AD and I took responsibility”

deepening

Westbrook scored 15 of his 33 points between the fourth period and overtime, the same ones who represented the maximum in his career with the yellow and purple so far, also giving himself a dunk with a foul in the overtime that recalled the ferocious striker of his best days. He and Davis combined for 14 points in the 17-4 run that opened the fourth quarter, reversing the game: “We knew that without LeBron we had a responsibility to make the guys around us better. “ Westbrook said. “And tonight AD did a great job of staying aggressive all night and finishing well around the iron. It was huge for us.” After the first two defeats with Golden State and Phoenix, the Lakers got back on track by returning to 50% of victories. The next steps will be to integrate Westbrook even better, especially alongside James: “We have never lost faith in being able to win this match, even when we were under. We held out and won a very important away match “said coach Vogel. the best possible news for these new Lakers.