Clippers: Paul George applauds Russell Westbrook for defensive performance vs Suns

Clippers superstar Paul George watched from the sidelines and was very impressed with Russell Westbrook in Game 1 against the Suns

The Los Angeles Clippers grabbed a massive Game 1 victory against the Phoenix Suns on Sunday behind a 38-point performance from Kawhi Leonard. But, he wasn't the only factor in the win. While Russell Westbrook didn't do much offensively, the veteran guard stood out on the opposite end of the floor and came up clutch in the dying seconds of the fourth, blocking Devin Booker to seal the deal for the Clips.

Russ finished with nine points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists plus a pair of steals and three swats. Following the contest, Paul George, who continues to be out with a knee sprain, showered his good friend with a ton of praise. Remember, PG was one of the players who voiced his desire to bring Westbrook to LA.

Via Chris Haynes:

“This is the reason why Russell Westbrook was such a huge pickup for us,” George told B/R. “They just see Russ for the shots that he misses. They don't see him for the rebounding, the defense. Look at the block on KD to start this series off and the block on D-Book to finish the game. They don't see the intangibles, and they look past everything else that he does. They solely lock into whether he make or miss shots and judge him off of that. People don't judge him off who he is as a basketball player.”

Although Russ was just 3 for 19 from the field Sunday, he truly locked down defensively and proved why he's a valuable weapon for the Clippers. Westbrook expressed how grateful he is for this organization to allow him to thrive in more ways than one, even when he's not scoring as efficiently as on other nights:

“It's amazing here for me,” Westbrook told B/R. “My whole career, I'm a guy that prides myself at doing everything on both sides of the floor. Every possession, I try to make winning plays. I've been in every position before. Just like with anyone else, when they have off nights, they may only do one thing. But for me, I pride myself on doing each and every thing every night, and I'm grateful that the Clippers allow me to do that.”

If there is one thing that is for certain, Russell Westbrook is going to leave everything out on the floor each and every game. Needless to say, that's exactly what he did in Game 1, playing an integral part in LA taking a 1-0 series lead on the road.