With 1.9 seconds left in Friday's 117-115 overtime win over the New Orleans Pelicans, Washington Wizards vet Russell Westbrook rose up for a game-winning jumper—only to get nicked on the elbow by Zion Williamson.
Washington head coach Scott Brooks challenged the original non-call and won, and Westbrook calmly went on to drill the victorious back-to-back free throws as part of a 36-point, 15-rebound, nine-assist night. For what it's worth, Brandon Ingram's 61-foot heave at the buzzer fell harmlessly to the floor.
The question is: was it really a foul? Some think it's debatable.
It’s somehow even worse actually. His pinkie finger slightly brushed, or flicked, Westbrook’s elbow. Imagine if Zion got calls on this level of contact pic.twitter.com/v3mAbZo1Mv
— W Zion (@24nativeson) April 17, 2021
Russell Westbrook, however, settled the debate himself, per NBC Sports Washington's Chase Hughes. The Wizards star noted he shouldn't have had to win it at the free throw line anyway:
Russell Westbrook on the challenged foul by Zion Williamson on him with 1.9 sec left: "It was a foul. If it wasn't a foul, it would have been a bucket."
— Chase Hughes (@ChaseHughesNBCS) April 17, 2021
Well, then, Russ. Have it your way.
It's a pretty critical win for the Wizards, now winners of three-straight and 22-33 on the year. Washington sits just 7.5 games back of first-place Atlanta (30-26) in the Southeast Division, as well as a surprising five games back of the Charlotte Hornets for the Eastern Conference No. 8 seed.
For the Pelicans, it's a little further frustration. Now at 25-31 and 5.5 games back of Dallas in the Southwest Division and four games back of No. 8 seed Memphis in the Western Conference, Zion Williamson and company could ill-afford a controversial call in the final seconds of a much-needed road victory.
But according to Westbrook, it just wasn't that all controversial and that he was winning the game for the Wizards either way. It's a rather spicy ending to the regular season series, which split at 1-1 with both teams trying to make the mad scramble to either a hot run into the 2021 NBA playoffs…or at the very least, the 2021 NBA play-in scenario.
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