In a battle between two struggling teams, the Los Angeles Lakers managed to come out on top against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night.
LeBron James was the story of the night, scoring 56 points and surpassing his previous Laker high of 51. The Warriors had no answers for James, who scored from every spot on the floor, while the Laker role players came through and made big plays in the fourth quarter.
While the conversation about the game will revolve around James, Russell Westbrook also had his best game in what feels like forever. Westbrook scored 20 points on the night, but more importantly, was happy that the Lakers got a win to hopefully generate some positive momentum.
“It’s a good win for us, especially at home,” Westbrook said. “We’ve been struggling especially to get a win here, I know they’ve been struggling as well, so good win for us especially at the crib when we needed one badly. So hopefully we can build off this and move forward.”
Analysts and media have already ruled out any sort of postseason run for Los Angeles, and while it might be hard to argue that, Westbrook is remaining bullish on their chances moving forward.
“It never was a hope, I know that the season ain’t over, I know we have a chance. So win, lose or draw, my attitude and demeanor stays the same.”
One win over a Warriors team in a funk is not the cure-all to the Lakers’ issues, but it certainly is a step in the right direction considering how bad they have looked as of late. It is no surprise that L.A. finally broke through when both James and Westbrook played well, but the concern is how often the two can produce simultaneously.
It might be wishful thinking to believe the Lakers are still in the running for a title, but maybe this is indeed the start of the run fans have hoped for. The odds are not in their favor, but Westbrook and his teammates can build on this win when they hit the road and play the San Antonio Spurs next.
Tensions rising between Russell Westbrook, Lakers
While Westbrook sounds dedicated to helping the Lakers turn their season around, trouble sounds like it is brewing behind the scenes. With the team struggling, conversations about changing Westbrook’s role or his approach have come up and the point guard reportedly has not taken too kindly to the talks.
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