Sunday’s loss by the Lakers to the Blazers was not Russell Westbrook’s fault, nor did he play a particularly large role in the loss. By the standards of Russ as a Laker, his performance was pretty much par for the course and even featured some decent defensive plays on the afternoon.
That was all before the final minute of the contest. With the Lakers leading by one and just under 30 seconds remaining, Russ pulled up for a mid-range jumper that clanked off the rim and to the Blazers.
Portland would subsequently take the lead on the next possession on a Damian Lillard 3-pointer and eventually win the game.