Russell Westbrook is unapologetic for his actions after being ejected at the end of a tough loss for the Los Angeles Lakers. His frustration was preventable. The Lakers were 26 points ahead in the first half against the Oklahoma City Thunder but ended up suffering a come-from-behind defeat (123-115) due to poor passing and decision-making.
With 1.5 seconds on the clock, Darius Bazley decided to run full steam toward the hoop and throw down a ferocious dunk instead of dribbling out the clock. At that moment, Westbrook flipped. He went straight for Bazley. From his point of view, the dunk was unnecessary and unsportsmanlike because the Thunder were leading by six. When asked about the ejection, he explained that he is “more old-school.”
“When s— like that happens, I don’t let it slide,” he said. “In the game of basketball, there’s certain things you just don’t do. Like in baseball, you don’t flip the bat. There’s certain things you don’t do in sports when the game’s already over. And I didn’t like it. Simple as that.”
With the addition of Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony, the Lakers are trying to figure out what works and what doesn’t. Westbrook will be looking to regain his passing focus against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Although the 32-year-old had a triple-double against the Thunder (20 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists) he also turned the ball over 10 times.
