For one night, Russell Westbrook silenced his critics. The former MVP looked like his old self in a Los Angeles Lakers win against the Toronto Raptors on Friday night, much to the chagrin of his detractors and to the delight of LeBron James.

The Lakers superstar was quick to hype up Westbrook on his personal Instagram page, waving at the haters with a simple three-word caption.

 

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Russell Westbrook finished with 22 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists on a solid 8-for-18 shooting clip. He also made what turned out to be the winning play as he generated a steal in the dying seconds of regulation and nailed a contested three-pointer to force overtime.

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Russell Westbrook also made the winning play in overtime. With the Lakers down one with less than a minute to go, the Brodie found Avery Bradley wide open for the go-ahead triple from the corner.

One game doesn't define a season or completely shift the narrative surrounding Russell Westbrook in his maiden year with the Lakers. But LeBron James and Lakers fans alike sure hope this game can be the turning point for Westbrook as they enter the stretch run before the play-in tournament.