The Los Angeles Clippers blew out the Dallas Mavericks 107-88 on Saturday.
Russell Westbrook had his first strong showing since moving to the bench in this one, recording 14 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists in 25 minutes of play.
In addition to stuffing the stat sheet, Westbrook also recorded one of the game’s more memorable moments with his three-word callout of Luka Doncic.
With just under five minutes remaining in the game, Westbrook smelled blood in the water:
“GO AT HIM!”
Russell Westbrook had a message for his teammates after scoring on Luka Doncic 👀pic.twitter.com/NqFQmVdwC4
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 26, 2023
Doncic’s defensive liabilities are a matter of public record. In some respects, it is surprising that more teams don’t take advantage of him.
Fans loved Westbrook’s aggressiveness:
Westbrook will put Luka down for his nap.
— Daniel J Anderson (@Daniel_TO21) November 26, 2023
In an NBA weekend that saw Josh Giddey get caught up in a messy controversy, the troubling photos and videos that came out of that scandal, and his own teammates’ mad scramble to distance themselves from him – Westbrook’s big showing was a nice palate cleanser.
Whether it is a sign of things to come for the Clippers remains to be seen.
Obviously the team hasn’t been able to consistently win since the James Harden trade, but hopefully this is the beginning of a new era for them.
What sort of performance will Westbrook put up on Monday night when the Clippers take on the defending champion Denver Nuggets? Time will tell.
