A shorthanded Los Angeles Lakers could’ve pulled off a magnificent win had Russell Westbrook shot the last three-pointer or else drove to the rim.
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Facing yet another opponent with a winning record, the Lakers drop yet another game. With stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis out with injuries, coach Frank Vogel was looking towards his third big star Russell Westbrook to lead the rather young squad towards a victory.
The player-coach duo has been under the most scrutiny for the past few months as the team has struggled to even keep themselves on the .500 mark. They had a chance to do that Friday when the Lakers visited Spectrum Center to play the Charlotte Hornets.
Although Russell Westbrook had an impressive game, scoring season-high 35 points — including 16 in the fourth quarter, helping the Lakers in coming back from a 20-point deficit, he couldn’t take them through LaMelo Ball and Co.
The 2017 MVP went for the win when he had the chance to drive to the basket and try to send the game into overtime. Shooting 3 of 6 beyond the perimeter at the time, he chose to launch a 3-pointer and go for the victory.
To add to the Lakers’ misery, his shot didn’t go in, resulting in yet another loss for the struggling Los Angeles team, who now have a 24-26 record and sit at 9th position. But Brodie received praise from the former Lakers’ magician after his great game.
Russell Westbrook gets praise from Magic Johnson as a consolation
Since he has started getting the blame for most of the loss for the Purple and Gold team, Westbrook has also been receiving constant support from the current and former NBA players. Magic Johnson has joined that group of people who decide to stand behind the 9-time All-Star.
Having outscored the Hornets by 14 points in the 3rd quarter and trailing the game by just one towards the end, the Lakers could’ve had the momentum going into OT had their electrifying guard decided to drive instead of letting it fly.
“The hottest guy in the gym has the ball in his hands ready to make a play. He was 3 for 6 from the 3 in the second half and went for the win. He knocks that down, we’re talking about one hell of a win. It just didn’t go down for us. Russell was spectacular in that second half. He just really willed our team into an opportunity to steal one on the road.” Coach Vogel said of Westbrook’s decision to go beyond the arc for the final shot.
Russell himself said after the game that he’ll live and die with that last shot, having made the two before that one.
No doubt it sounds good for a line in the movies but could come back to haunt the Lakers at the end of the season.
For the guy who gives his critiques too much importance and time these days, he did not choose wisely when he had the chance, giving his haters enough to question his basketball IQ.
