Russell Westbrook was the focus at first of his Los Angeles Clippers debut, however all eyes had been on the scoreboard by the tip. Which took some time.
The previous Los Angeles Lakers level guard’s first minutes as a Clipper got here in what turned out to be the second-highest scoring sport in NBA historical past, a 176-175 double-overtime win for the Sacramento Kings. Per ESPN Stats & Infothe groups’ mixed 44 3-pointers was additionally probably the most in a sport in NBA historical past.
The sport completed 19 factors in need of the NBA report, a 186-184 triple-overtime win for the Detroit Pistons over the Denver Nuggets in 1983.
De’Aaron Fox turned out to be the purpose guard most worthy of consideration, as he dropped 42 factors and 12 assists, together with what turned out to be the game-winning basketball on the finish of double OT.
Malik Monk additionally had a career-high 45 factors and a 3-pointer to tie the sport on the finish of regulation.
Russell Westbrook posts 14 assists in his Clippers debut
For all of the speak about how Westbrook wants to vary and what the Clippers may have completed otherwise with him, the previous MVP appeared fairly just like his new workforce.
Beginning at level guard, he completed with a line of 17 factors on 7-of-13 capturing with 14 assists, seven turnovers and 5 rebounds, giving the Clippers the form of distributor and paint-attacking presence they had been probably hoping for once they had been picked him up after the Lakers traded him and the Utah Jazz purchased him out.
It was just one sport, however one stat confirmed how the Clippers may show a greater match for Westbrook than the Lakers. Westbrook completed with eight assists on 3-pointers made, in line with ESPN Stats & Infohis highest complete within the final two seasons.
The Clippers acquired the complete Russell Westbrook expertise on the finish of regulation. He delivered a clutch basket with 15 seconds left to place the workforce up three factors, a much-needed contribution after practically blowing a 147-136 lead with lower than three minutes left.
Quickly, nonetheless, the Kings had the ball with an opportunity to tie it and Westbrook appeared to lose Monk on protection, although there may even have been an error on the a part of Norman Powell. Both method, the outcome was time beyond regulation.
The nonsense did not finish in time beyond regulation or double time beyond regulation. The Clippers constructed up a six-point lead in each durations, however ended up taking a really chaotic loss. Kawhi Leonard completed with 44 factors on 16-of-22 capturing, whereas Paul George had 34 factors, 10 rebounds and 5 assists.
Westbrook’s 39 minutes performed partially got here on the expense of Terance Mann, the Clippers beforehand starter at level guard, who had solely 18 minutes. The Clippers outscored the Kings by six factors with Mann on the ground and by three with Westbrook.
After the sport, Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue conceded he ought to have performed Mann extra, however conceded he needed to experiment with lineups that includes a few of his workforce’s just lately acquired gamers.
It feels unfair to guage Westbrook as a Clipper in a sport like Friday’s, however he wasn’t with out his negatives. There have been the seven turnovers, the six private fouls and the defensive lapses. No participant within the NBA is extra outlined by his negatives than Westbrook, and he’ll stay underneath the microscope for the foreseeable future.
The excellent news for the Clippers is that it will not be practically as exhausting to maneuver on from him if he would not work out because it was for the Los Angeles Lakers. And if he does work out, properly, that may make for fairly a narrative.