Not having Kawhi Leonard has been hard for the LA Clippers. On a two-game losing skid, the Hornets had hoped to capitalize on it to end their seven-game losing streak. But Russell Westbrook rose to the occasion as his late game surge sealed the deal for Charlotte.
And for some very thankful fans, courtside. As Westbrook hit his 10th rebound, a few fans from the crowd yelled out, “THANK YOU FOR SAVING MY MORTGAGE,” the Clippers beat writer, Farbod reported.
These two fans in the crowd bet on Russell Westbrook to get 10 rebounds tonight, and yelled "THANK YOU FOR SAVING MY MORTGAGE" as he shot his final free throws of the game lmao
— Farbod Esnaashari (@Farbod_E) December 27, 2023
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His final free throws set the stage for such a hilarious incident. But the rising trust in the Clippers team is quite heart warming. Especially considering the amount of backwash they received after the Harden saga. But it would seem like all the star Clippers duo Kawhi-Paul needed was another effective ball handler for them to focus on their duties.
But tonight’s beacon of hope was truly “Beastbrook”. Talking to media after the game, Coach Lue was all praise for the veteran guard. “Russell was really good off the bench for us. Saved the game for us,” he said, before the fake alarm had gone off, cutting the media presser short.
Westbrook himself seems to be quite aware of his contributions to the team.
“I just compete every night”: Russell Westbrook on his performance
What should have been an easy win for the Kawhi-less Clippers turned out to be a late-game hustle against a short-handed Hornets team. For the majority of the game, Charlotte was in the lead. Even when it looked like LA was starting to look sharp by taking a 75-65 lead in the third quarter, the ‘Queen City’ stole back the spot with a 91-84 lead with 9:29 left on the clock.
With just 3:58 remaining, the Clippers seemed to wake up from the slump. By then it was a wholly of shots from George and Ivica Zubac. James Harden‘s famous step-back three-pointer and Brodie’s second 3-pointer gave provided LA with a six-point lead.
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Talking to a reporter, Westbrook sheds light on the team’s performance, as well as, his. “Tonight we relied on defense to close the game,” he admitted. “I just compete every night and hope for the best!,” Westbrook added.
"I just compete every night."
Russell Westbrook after the W. pic.twitter.com/B8eSQG8FF6
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) December 27, 2023
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The 2017 MVP closed the night with 14 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists. If Russ continues this form going forward, there is no doubt that even during dire circumstances, the Clippers can very well come out victorious in the end!
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