“Russ Beefing With Role Players Now?”: NBA Twitter Blasts Russell Westbrook for Engaging in an Intense Game of Catch With 22-Year-Old Star During Wolves vs Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers didn’t enjoy the best of starts to their pre-season ahead of the 2022 regular season. They lost three straight games to the Sacramento Kings, the Phoenix Suns, and the Minnesota Timberwolves. However, they got an opportunity to take revenge for their loss against the Wolves as they faced them again at home. One of the biggest talking points of the game was Russell Westbrook engaging in an aggressive game of catch with Jaden McDaniels.

Russell Westbrook started the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, but it was a frustrating night for him in the end. During the opening few mins of the game, Westbrook pushed McDaniels during the Wolves’ first basket of the game. McDaniels reacted by throwing the ball toward him at the end of the play.

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However, Russ threw the ball back at him and the two continued to throw the ball at each other hard. It led to both receiving techs early in the game. The heated exchange between the two quickly went viral on Twitter, leading to some interesting reactions from fans.

NBA Twitter reacts to Russell Westbrook playing hot potato with Jaden McDaniels

Russell Westbrook was struggling against the Wolves throughout, despite being among the players with the most minutes in the game. His brief game of catch during the early stages of the game got him a tech and some trolling from NBA fans.

Following are some of the reactions from fans on NBA Twitter:

Westbrook is entering his second season as a Los Angeles Lakers player and he is arguably yet to win over the purple and gold fanbase. This could be a make-or-break season for him with the 17-time champions. Only time will tell how Westbrook bounces back from a tough first season with the Lakers.

Lakers lose their fourth pre-season game vs the Wolves

The Lakers registered their first win of the pre-season against the defending champions, the Golden State Warriors, on Sunday. However, they had lost three consecutive games before that. Furthermore, they succumbed to a fourth pre-season loss (113-118) against a high-flying Wolves side.

LeBron James (25 points) and Anthony Davis (19 points) led the scoring charts for the Lakers against the Wolves, but it wasn’t enough to snatch a win. They face the Sacramento Kings in their final pre-season game before their regular season opener against the Warriors.

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Can the Lakers end the preseason on a positive note with a win against the Kings? Let us know in the comments section below.