Russell Westbrook cost the Los Angeles Lakers in their deflating loss to the Brooklyn Nets, and he did not bother to stick around afterwards either.
The Lakers fell to Brooklyn by a 122-115 final score on Christmas Day. It was actually an exciting ending, as the Lakers came roaring back from down 23 in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 115 with under a minute to play. However, their comeback fell short, and if you’re wondering why, you should probably look no further than Westbrook.
In one of his ugliest games of the season, Westbrook shot 4-for-20 from the field and finished with a team-worst plus-minus of -23 in 37 minutes. While he was able to record a bare-bones triple-double of 13 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists, Westbrook did it on extremely poor efficiency. His play down the stretch was especially costly as well.
Westbrook lost Patty Mills on defense in the final minutes, allowing Mills to hit a crucial corner three-pointer.
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— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) December 26, 2021
He also bonked a dunk attempt off the rim with the Lakers down three with 26 seconds left in the game. That essentially sealed the win for Brooklyn.
Russell Westbrook vs. NBA Rims
Episode #30
Winner: NBA RIMSScoreboard:
Westbrook: 15
NBA Rims: 15Full thread https://t.co/KyrOpKruiN pic.twitter.com/UUzBqT2kHq
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) December 26, 2021
After the loss, Westbrook did not do a post-game press conference, per Kyle Goon of Southern California News Group.
Westbrook and the media already dislike each other, as we have even seen this season. Now with his awful Christmas showing on top of that, it is hardly surprising that Westbrook would not want to face the music.
Photo: Oct 6, 2021; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook prior to the preseason game against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
