Houston Rockets superstar Russell Westbrook admitted that his subpar performance in Game 2 versus the Los Angeles Lakers greatly impacted the outcome of the match on Sunday.
The Purple and Gold managed to even their best-of-seven Western Conference semifinals series against the Rockets at one win apiece, running away with a 117-109 victory at the AdventHealth Arena.
Following his solid outing in Game 1, Westbrook struggled immensely on Sunday and could only muster 10 points on a putrid 4-of-15 shooting from the field and 1-for-7 from past the arc in 33 minutes of action. The 6-foot-3 high-flyer did collect 13 rebounds, four assists and two steals, but he also committed seven of Houston’s 14 turnovers.
After the game, the one-time league MVP acknowledged that he must return to his usual self in order for the Rocekts to have a chance against the West No.1 seed.
“Right now I’m just running around. I’ve got to look at film and figure out how to be effective,” Russell Westbrook said, per Ben Golliver of the Washington Post.
Russ was also pretty rough on himself after coughing up the ball so much.
Rockets’ Russell Westbrook on his 7 turnovers in Game 2 loss to Lakers: “It’s on me. I don’t point fingers at anybody else. I own my mistakes. I own what I do and that’s that.” pic.twitter.com/6ZXMAWoBXf
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) September 7, 2020
To be fair, Westbrook has had an up-and-down showing ever since returning from a quadriceps injury he sustained inside the bubble. The nine-time All-Star sat out the first four games of the Rockets’ first-round series against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
He played erratic and out-of-control for most of Game 2, as the Lakers capitalized on those mistakes and converted it to easy fastbreak opportunities.
Westbrook got his usual looks from the field but was just unable to convert against the Lakers'defense.
Houston's Eric Gordon took on the scoring load for the misfiring Westbrook, pitching in 24 points. James Harden led the way with 27 markers, seven assists and two rebounds, but it was clear that he badly needed his No.2 on Sunday.
Westbrook and the Rockets will look to bounce back in Game 3 scheduled on Tuesday.
Follow Us
Subscribe