SAN FRANCISCO -- Russell Westbrook said he "absolutely" believes that Los Angeles Lakers coach Darvin Ham's decision to bring him off the bench in L.A.'s preseason finale could have caused the hamstring strain he suffered that night.
"I've been doing the same thing for 14 years straight," Westbrook said following the Lakers' 123-109 loss to the Golden State Warriors in their regular-season opener Tuesday night. "Honestly, I didn't even know what to do pregame. Being honest, I was trying to figure out how to stay warm and loose. ... That's something I just wasn't accustomed to.